Sword Art Online:Realization
by amahjing
Summary: He wasn't the greatest MMORPG player, not by a long shot. Still, clear all 100 floors in order to escape from the death game? He'd be able to do it. He had to escape. An exploration of all 100 floors of Aincrad, featuring a more detailed system in terms of stats, quests, and other mechanics. Really slow romance/Eventual harem.
1. Prologue - Entering the Death Game

**Author's Note**

 **Hello and welcome to my first story! This story will be my adaptation of Sword Art Online. Many parts of this story will be inspired off the light novel and progressive manga, but will not follow them completely. In other words, although there will exist similarities, the story pacing, as well as the events that occur in each floor will be different.**

 **Please also know that this work will ONLY take place on Aincrad SAO. It will not go on to the other games, and I plan on making it that way unless something extreme makes me change my mind.**

 **Although there will be romance in the story, note that it will come very slowly. I don't want anything in this story to be rushed, especially with something like love at first sight or something of the sort.**

 **This rpg elements of this fic will follow the system of the original's, but also with my own twist. It will feature things that is my dream rpg. The fic will focus heavily on the elements and mechanics of the rpg, so I hope you readers will look forward to that. By the way, the amount of people trapped inside SAO will be 20,000 people in the story, not 10,000. I figured that I want to create a community in this game, and 10,000 will not be even close to enough. I don't know exactly how many people will balance this out, but for now, it'll be 20,000. It might change, it might not.**

 **That is all for the Author's Note, I hope you guys enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Sword Art Online in any way, nor am I making a profit off of this in any way. All credit goes to their respective owners.**

 _ **X-Sword Art Online:Realization-X**_

Kazuto took a deep breath as he repeatedly tapped his fingers on the table. Why was it that time always seemed to pass by so slowly at times like this? He currently sat in front of his PC, impatiently consuming on some chips as his eyes watched the Japanese nation go crazy over the release of the second generation full dive technology console.

NerveGear.

It was one of the greatest breakthroughs in the technology industry. Just a decade ago, full dive virtual reality was something that can be only experience in places such as amusement parks. However, Kayaba Akihiko, the creator of the NerveGear, made it possible so that any household could own a device. Kazuto had already read so many reports on the amazing features that the NerveGear possessed, to the point where he had memorized them. Despite his current interest in the machine, it was something else that got Kazuto interested in the NerveGear initially.

The first VRMMORPG, Sword Art Online was what got him interested. If he had to take a social stance, he would lean towards that of a gamer. Although he wouldn't call himself addicted, gaming was something that helped Kazuto calm down or spend the time. After finding out online that there was a beta test for a VRMMORPG, Kazuto signed up with no expectations. Without a doubt, there were tens of thousands of people signing up, just like him.

After receiving an email that informed him of his acceptance to the beta, Kazuto had screamed in joy. Luckily, there was no one in the house at the time. At first, Kazuto felt slightly skeptical about the beta testing, even before he tried the game. The testing required him play at a specific facility, not at his own house. He quickly squashed the feeling as he remembered that he was lucky to be invited.

All negative thoughts disappeared the moment he first entered the world of Aincrad. His first full dive left him standing in awe for minutes. The fantasy world felt so real. He could feel the wind moving his hair, the warmth of the sun, and so many other things that could only be experienced in reality. It was at this moment that he gained so much interest in the NerveGear.

The game was still in beta, but the game felt perfect. The vast open world of Aincrad made it so that it was impossible to discover every inch of the first floor in a week. Kazuto, going through the alias of Kirito for his avatar, aimed for completion, attempting to map out the entire floor. He spent hours trying to complete every quest that the NPC's gave and experimented every available Sword Arts.

In all honesty, the beta of Sword Art Online impacted his life in a negative way. He couldn't focus at school, and he always went home late. His average grades dipped, and his biorhythm was distorted. He couldn't sleep well at nights. It was all because of Sword Art Online. It wouldn't leave his mind. Every second that he didn't play Sword Art Online, Kazuto focused on what he **could** be doing when he did his next dive.

Because the number of beta testers were limited, combined with the fact that they all full dived in the same facility, they quickly met together and became friends. Although he did acquaint himself with some of them, he evaded talking about the game with them. It wasn't that he hated sharing information, it was just that Kazuto wanted to discover the game himself.

Kazuto knew that guilds were going to be an inevitable feature in the game. However, it was in just the beta phase for now. He could try and solve things by himself. Sure, a large portion of MMORPGs focused on guild activities, but the game was still in it's initial stages. It wasn't an excuse, it was the truth. In fact, he was having so much fun because he was discovering the game by himself.

It was this fact that made it so much harder to comprehend that the beta testing was over. It felt devastating. Kazuto felt empty when the beta testing ended. His only way to play Sword Art Online was to wait for it's official release, which was months away. He tried to play different games, other RPGs. None of them felt fun.

At least his grades rose.

Luckily, he was promised to be given a copy of Sword Art Online before it's release date. Kazuto wouldn't have to wait and compete with the zombie horde that would try and secure themselves a copy of the game. The problem was, Kazuto didn't have the NerveGear. For the remaining months, he obtained part-time jobs in order to make enough money to buy himself a NerveGear. His extended family had given him surprised looks when he told them that he was working.

Finally being able to purchase the Nervegear, kazuto sat at his desk at the current moment, waiting for the servers of Sword Art Online to go online. His lips curled up into a smile as he watched the clock. It was one minute before the servers went online. His eyes focused on the seconds, watching it increase.

5 Seconds.

He plugged in his NerveGear into his computer.

4 Seconds.

Kazuto left his chair and lied down on the bed, smile still in place.

3 Seconds.

He lifted his head, placing the NerveGear.

2 Seconds.

Kazuto exhaled, laughter escaping his mouth.

1 Second.

"Link Start!"

His vision went white as the long lost feeling of doing a full dive kicked in. The system made the routine checks, colors flashing into his vision. Sound was all set, motions were all set, and the game was loading. The game interface showed, asking for the login and password. Kazuto swiftly entered the code, and the world of Aincrad now showed.

Slight nausea hit 'Kirito' as he could now see his own avatar's hands.

"I'm finally back." He muttered. Kirito excitedly opened up his inventory, eyes scanning the contents inside. Instead, he found himself confused as there was nothing in his inventory, other than the beginner's handbook the beta testers wrote. His eyes closed slightly as he breathed a sigh of disappointment. It seemed that his progress from the beta was no longer available to him. He quickly dismissed the thought, running through the familiar streets through the first floor of Aincrad.

Kirito made a mental list of what he needed to complete by the end of the day. First, he needed to make sure that he hit at least lvl 4. That was because he needed to get the Anneal Blade. The quest giving NPC was located in the village hidden by the forest. The forest was one of the more difficult area's of the first floor, so Kirito needed to make sure that his level was adequate. The Anneal Blade also required the user to be lvl 5, but the quest gave enough experience points to level up.

"Hey, wait up!" Kirito slowed down, looking around. There was no one around him, so he came to a full stop, looking towards the direction of the sound. His eyes focused on the man in front of him. Kirito immediately recognized that the man used the character customization option. Kirito himself used the default avatar, as appearance was not important to him at all.

Kirito raised his eyebrows as his response, signalling for the man to continue.

"I'm sorry for being a bother, but I couldn't help but notice the way you navigated yourself around. You're from the beta aren't you? Please, would you help this poor soul?" The man clasped his hand in front of him, bowing his head down.

Kirito's eyes widened at the rush of words. He gave the man credit for his deduction. Kirito let out a sigh as he stared at the back of the man's head. It wouldn't hurt to help out someone for a little bit.

"Alright, but I'll only help with the basics." The man's head rose instantly, teeth showing because of his vibrant smile.

"Thank's man! My name is Klein, and I'll make sure that I pay this debt back in some way!" Klein offered a handshake, extending his arm.

"Name's Kirito." Kirito smiled back, grasping at Klein's hand.

The two headed towards the fields which spawned the easiest monsters in the game. There were a few people around hunting, so they found a isolated area. Kirito instructed Klein to stay back, in order to demonstrate the combat system of Sword Art Online.

"You ever play any other MMORPGs?" Kirito asked. Klein scratched the side of his head before answering.

"Well, I've played a few, although not that indepthly." Kirito nodded at his response. It was all the information that he needed.

"I'm sure you understand how combat works in the traditional MMORPGs, right? There exists basic attacks, that don't use any MP. Then there exists skills, which require a hotkey." Kirito turned his head around, to see Klein giving an understanding nod.

"Obviously, Sword Art Online is different. There are no hotkeys, only neural input. A basic attack is quite simple to perform. Like moving, it simply requires you to swing your arm, as if you are swinging a sword in real life." Kirito attacked one of the nearest boars as an example.

"The basic attack is the safest attack to use in the game if used correctly." From the corner of his eyes, he could see klein giving him a questionable look.

"Unlike other games, which basic attacks hit as long as you're in range, Sword Art Online requires precision and timing. You can't just swing blindly and expect it to do damage. The location in which your attacks hit counts." Kirito dodged the small boar before swinging the beginner's sword towards the exposed side. The monster made a loud noise, flailing wildly as it fell to the ground.

"The place I've just attacked is a Critical Spot, or **[[CS]]**. If you land a successful attack on the critical spot, you can make the enemies **[[Vulnerable]]**. Your attacks now have a slight damage multiplier, allowing you to deal more damage as long as they stay **[[Vulnerable]]**. You'll know when an enemy becomes **[[Vulnerable]]** , as they make a special sound indicating it." He attacked the boar, and Klein's eyes widened as he watched the HP Bar lower significantly.

"On the other hand, there exists the Reinforced Spot, or **[[RS]]**. If your attacks land on these places, then it's not going to end well for you. Best case scenario, your attack deals significantly reduced damage. Worst case, you get stunned for a short duration of time." Klein scrunched his face up as he listened to the explanations.

"It is kind of complicated, as it requires you to fight the same enemy multiple times in order to find the critical spot and reinforced spot. Next is **[[Sword** **Arts]]**. It's different from basic attacks in that it requires a motion to be made before activating. You need to make the prerequisite motion, holding the motion for a short duration." Kirito held the blade over head, before his weapon started glow.

"It's hard to explain, but there's a feeling that lets you know the skill is ready. Once you know it's ready, finish the required motion." He swung his sword downwards, leaving a trail of light. "Your sword skill activates, which deals more damage than the basic attacks." The boar exploded into different particles, and a game interface showed up in front of Kirito. He ignored the reward he got, as he continued his explanation.

"The great thing about **[[Sword Arts]]** is that even if you hit a Reinforced Spot, you don't get the stun penalty no matter what, even if the damage is reduced. However, note that using skills can make you vulnerable, as there is a downtime after you use a skill." Kirito could see Klein rubbing his head.

"Jeez dude, it's not exactly complicated, but it's still a lot to take in." Kirito laughed a little as he heard Klein mumble.

"Don't worry Klein. That was my initial reaction too. All it takes is trial, error, and repeat before you get accusto-" Kirito's words died out as he focused on the game window in front of him.

"You alright Kirito?" Klein asked. Kirito scanned through the words again, before letting out a frustrated noise.

"It's all good. It's just that, it seemed that they changed the amount of money and exp you get from a kill." Klein nodded silently. Kirito focused on the window in front of him. A single boar had rewarded him with only 8 exp and 5 Col.

It was decreased by a large amount from the beta. He wasn't in a party with Klein so they shouldn't be sharing the reward. Standing close to someone getting a kill also didn't share the reward if Kirito remembered correctly. So why? It seemed that he would need to grind for a larger amount of time. Guess Kayaba didn't want people to level up too easily on his game.

"Well, that covers most of the basics of combat. If you need to know anything else, there's always the beginner's catalog that we beta testers wrote. It's distributed for free in the market in the city plaza. If there's anything that puzzles even after you read through it, then message me." Kirito navigated through the game menu, sending Klein a friend request. He quickly accepted the request.

"I'm going to hunt some more mobs, want to join?" Klein declined the offer to his surprise.

"I ordered some food in the real life, it's going to come real soon. I'll see you again some time Kirito!" Kirito waved back, heading towards his next boar. He stopped, as he heard Klein call his name.

"Hey Kirito, where's the logout button?" Kirito's eyes furrowed in confusion as he called the game menu. His hands swiped through the options, and was surprised to see that there was no logout option.

"I… Think it's a bug…?" He replied hesitantly. He scratched his head in confusion. It was a pretty nasty mistake to make in it's launch date, considering that the game required a full dive.

"W-w-what?" Kirito whipped his head around as he heard Klein cry out in surprise. His eyes widened as he saw Klein's body disappear. He looked down at his own legs to see that the same phenomenon was happening to him.

 _ **X-Sword Art Online:Realization-X**_

A gasp escaped his mouth as he scanned his surrounding. It was the starting city, and thousands of people were huddled together as they let out curious outcries. There cries were cut short, as the faces of thousands focused on the floating figure.

" **Players, Welcome to my world."**

Kirito recognized that voice. It was Kayaba.

" **My name is Kayaba Akihiko, the creator and controller of this world."**

The words confirmed his identity, and the players voiced their confusion.

" **I believe that at this time, most of you have discovered that the [[logout]] button has disappeared from the main menu. This is not a bug. I repeat, this is not a bug. This is an intended feature of Sword Art online"**

' _What?'_ Doubt flashed through Kirito's mind. It didn't make any sense.

" **Until you clear all 100 floors of Aincrad and defeat the final boss, you will not be able to leave my world. Tampering with the NerveGear from the outside is not allowed. If this is attempted, then the NerveGear will send electromagnetic pulses which are capable of destroying your brain."**

Why was Kayaba telling this to the players? They couldn't tamper with the NerveGear even if they wanted to. Unless… This speech was being broadcasted live right now.

" **Many of you will be wondering, 'Why?' Why am I, Kayaba Akihiko, the creator of both SAO and NerveGear, doing this?"**

Indeed, that was the primary question running through his mind.

" **I am doing this, because my purpose was to create and watch over this world. Now, that purpose has been fulfilled."**

Why was it necessary for him to trap 20,000 people in this world though? Couldn't he have watched over his world without trapping the players?

" **This was the official tutorial for Sword Art Online. I wish the best of luck to every single player. Oh, and before I leave, I left a present for everyone. Please look into your inventory."**

The cloaked figure disappeared after. Bells could be heard from every direction as the many players all looked into their inventory.

"The mirror?" Kirito muttered. The next second, a bright flash erupted from the item, and Kirito could see his own face reflecting from the mirror. He fumbled his face with his hands, eyes wide with shock. Surprised cries entered his ears, but Kirito ignored them.

"Need to stay calm. Need to stay calm. Need to stay calm." He repeated the words in his head as he headed out of the city. If Kayaba was telling the truth, then he needed to work on leveling up now. He had no time to wallow. He needed to stay calm. The rapid beating in his heart told him otherwise. His slow footsteps escalated into full strides.

Fields filled with boars entered his vision. Kirito unsheathed his Beginner's Sword, slaying all the monsters in the vicinity. Was this why Kayaba reduced the amount of exp and Col gained? To make it harder for players to escape from his fucked up ploy?

Particles breezed by Kirito as he killed another mob of monsters. He would win. He needed to. He wasn't going to die in this world. A roar left his mouth as he activated a sword skill. He destroyed the mobs one after another, and soon, the entire field was empty. A message appeared in front of Kirito, signalling his progress.

 **Congratulations, you are now Level 2!**

 _ **X-Sword Art Online:Realization-X**_

 **Afternote**

 **This first few chapters is going to follow the original very closely as it sets the premise of entering Aincrad. Later on, it's going to vary from the original, although some quests might stay the same.**

 **Thank you for Reading!**


	2. Chapter 1 - Anneal Blade

**Author's Note**

 **This is chapter two of my adaption of Sword Art Online. This chapter holds some more explanation of the game's mechanics. Because SAO is mostly about a MMORPG, I thought that I should limit the amount of fight scenes that I put in. Writing every scene regarding when he grinds is going to get boring real quick, so in the early chapters, it's going to skip over them or summarize them briefly.**

 **Also, because I plan to write on all 100 floors, or as many as I can, I want to make sure that characters are fully explored. I don't want them to all meet in a singular chapter, as that will make it very hard for me to write interesting plot lines in the future.**

 **The story is still in it's infant stages, and I hope that I can make it better in the future.**

 **[Text] - In-game item or monster names**

 **[[Text]] - SAO terms**

 **«Text» - Game menu text or skill names**

 _ **[Text]**_ **\- In-game locations**

* * *

 _ **X-Sword Art Online:Realization-X**_

His fingers moved hesitantly towards the status menu. Kirito let out a sigh as he jerked his finger back, deciding not to add any stats yet. Instead, he opened his inventory to see how many **[Wolf Fangs]** he had. The current quest requested 8 of them, and he had well over the required amount. Kirito trudged his way back towards the quest giving NPC, turning the quest in.

 **« You have acquired the following for completing the following quest: Materials for a Camper »**

 **« 300 Col »**

 **« 90 Exp »**

 **« 1x Camper's Leg Armor »**

 **« Congratulations, you are now Level 3! »**

Kirito frowned as he saw the amount of saved stat points increased. Currently, he had 16 points to spend, but he didn't want to use them hastily. It was because the mechanics of the game changed significantly since the beta. First, new stats that Kirito had never seen appeared. He opened up his character stats to review them one more time.

 **« STR: 12 »**

 **« DEX: 7 »**

 **« CON: 3 »**

 **« AGI: 6 »**

 **« VIG: 4 »**

 **« RES: 3 »**

 **« END: 4 »**

 **« FOC: 3 »**

 **« ATU: 1 »**

 **« LUC: 1 »**

Although he could try and follow the traditional MMORPG definitions, Kirito wasn't going to rely on the other games. His life depended on these stats, and he would make sure that he would make the greatest efficiency out of all of them.

So far, he understood **STR** as strength, which increased the amount of damage one could do with their primary weapon. As Kirito was rewarded with some other weapons from monster drops, he noticed that the weapons required prerequisite stats. The weapons also had scaling, which meant the more points you had in the stat, the more damage you did.

 **DEX** , or dexterity, was also a stat used mostly to boost the damage of a primary weapon. Unlike strength weapons, which consisted of two-hand swords, axes, and others of the variety, dexterity weapons consisted of those such as rapiers or throwing daggers.

Kirito could guess that stats such as **CON** , **VIG** , **END** , and **RES** were defensive stats. Constitution, vigor, endurance, and resistance were stats that Kirito did not know the specifics of yet. He had seen armors and shields require some amount of the stats, but that was it.

 **AGI** and **LUC** , Kirito assumed to be agility and luck. **ATU** and **FOC** was something that Kirito had no idea at all what it could be. At the current situation, Kirito really only knew what **STR** and **DEX** were. Although it may be risky, he would wait until he obtained information as to what the other stats did.

When he looked through the many items he obtained, from weapons to shields to armors to accessories, something caught Kirito's eyes. It was that other than the starting equipment, other items obtained from monster drops or quests relied heavily on some stats, while requiring almost little to none at all of the others.

It was disturbing, as it was only the first floor. Yet, even with that fact, items relied too heavily on some stats, making it seem as if build paths needed to be chosen right away, something that traditional MMORPGs didn't do. They allowed flexibility, allowing the player to choose their own path, before deciding to dedicate their characters to a specific build.

Combined with the fact that there was no known Re-Spec system in the game, deciding to level any stat so far was dangerous, even more so to a solo player like himself. Kirito, knowing these facts, decided to wait until he saw the stat requirements for the **[Anneal Blade** ]. It was the best weapon Kirito had seen in the early stages of the game, and he doubted that Kayaba changed that, considering how difficult the quest was.

For each level gained, the player obtained 8 new stat points to allocate to his or her own choice. **[[Sword Arts]]** , or sword skill points, were also obtained through leveling up. One level gained would give the player 20 points to allocate. Kirito obtained the knowledge from experience that using the skills repeatedly occasionally increased the skill.

He tried to spam skills on lower enemies, attempting to try and increase the level of his **[[Sword Arts]]** , but noticed that the skill didn't improve. It seemed that skills needed to be used on enemies of the same or stronger level. It was a risk, which the payoff was increasing the level of the skill. As **[[Sword Arts]]** were risky to use, but strong, it made players make a difficult choice.

Being level 3, Kirito had only unlocked two **[[Sword Arts]]**. The first was **«Reinforced Slash»** , the second being **«Quick Strike»**. Unlike stat points, Kirito used up all the points he had to level his skills. The **[[Sword Arts]]** obtainable in the future all required a determined amount of points in the skill tree, so saving up the points would be useless. Also unlike stat points, there was a Re-Spec system that allowed players to reallocate their points. The maximum amount of points a player could allocate to a skill was 1000 points.

Kirito had also made sure to discover as much as he could about the world of Aincrad. The time was the same as that in the real world, operating at 24 hours a day. The mechanics of the game made it so that specific monsters would appear depending on the time of day. This was another tedious detail that players needed to take into account.

Something that frustrated him a lot was the **[[Lifestyle Points]]**. It was as if Kayaba was mocking them, telling the players that they would be stuck in the world. The players would also receive a small amount of points to invest into a specific lifestyle. While **[[Merchant]]** , or **[[Blacksmith]]** **[[Lifestyle]]** already existed in the beta, Kayaba had added more jobs.

They consisted of those that players would almost never use, such as cooking, fishing, knitting, and others of the sort that would only be used in the real world. It was also frustrating to see that neither **[[Merchant]]** nor **[[Blacksmith]]** was included in the list. It seemed that Kayaba left out the two most important ones out on purpose. Most likely, players would have to discover the **[[Lifestyle]]** through quests. Kirito made it so that he would not even invest any points in this section, as to tell himself that he would escape the world, that these points weren't needed at all.

Currently, Kirito sat in front of the Camper NPC's tent, waiting for the next dialogue. This dialogue would trigger the hint for the location of hidden village of _**[Horunka]**_. This village would be the location in which the **[Anneal Blade]** quest was given. He had thought of skipping the quest and heading towards the location, which he had memorized through the beta, but decided against it as he suspected that the location might be different from the beta.

The extra Col and Exp also wouldn't hurt.

Three days have passed by since the beginning of the death game, and he had only reached level 3. Considering that he had done as many small quests as possible, as well as hunting monsters that were the same level as him, he suspected that he would be one of the higher level players at the current point of the game. It was quite ridiculous, that he could only reach level 3 after three days of hard grinding. It would probably take another day to reach level four, which he would then continue on to do the quest.

Luckily for him, he could sleep comfortably in the village of _**[Horunka]**_ , as the Camper NPC gave him a handwritten letter.

"Show this to the village chief. He will be indebted to you, and allow you to stay at the village for a period of time." The NPC replied. Kirito raised his eyebrows. Why would he need to stay at the village for a while? At least he had a free place to lodge now.

Kirito took the letter from the man, and proceeded his way to find the hidden village. He entered the forest clearing, slowly making a path for himself. He scanned the area repeatedly as he walked, making sure that he would not get ambushed by a mob of monsters. Clear tracks made by the camper could be seen, and all Kirito had to do was follow the long trail. He faithfully followed the trail, fighting his way through the occasional mobs that appeared in front of him. He frowned as he saw the exp bar barely budge from the kills.

After a short while, he finally arrived to the hidden village. Trees surrounded the entire village, and all of the buildings were made of wood. The village had a small population, as it was proven by the limited amounts of buildings. Kirito headed directly towards the village chief. The NPC stared at Kirito, until Kirito handed the NPC the letter the camper gave him. The NPC took the letter, reading the letter before looking back towards him.

"I thank you for helping one of our villagers. As a reward, you will be able to stay in the village for as long as you need to see fit." The village chief said. Kirito grinned. He had found a place to lodge at, and he would look at the bazaars that the village had. He expected the merchants to sell different items, or at different prices.

Time had passed by quickly, and it was approaching nighttime already when Kirito had arrived to the village. He approached the Village Bazaar, talking to the NPC, initiating the purchasing dialogue.

"Welcome to Horunka! Please, take a look at the merchandise! I have heard from the village chief that you helped one of out people, so I will give you a special discount." Kirito's eyes twinkled as he listened. His eyes sparkled more as he saw the items the NPC was selling. All the items were items that were only sold at the village. To think that he would be able to buy these, at a discount!

He clicked on the first item, deciding to look through every item to see what kind of boost the item would give.

 **« Ring of Coincidence »**

 **« A special ring made by the crafters of the Horunka settlers. »**

 **« Level Requirement: 5 »**

 **« Effect: +2 LUC »**

 **« Cost: 850 Col »**

 **« Will you purchase this item? »**

 **« Yes/No »**

"WHAT!" His voice echoed throughout the village. Luckily, the village NPCs paid him no attention. His eyes boggled as he re-read the information on the first item. Leveling up gave the player 8 points to use. To gain two free points on luck, a player needed to spend 850 Col? Kirito eyed his inventory, eyes focusing on the amount of Col he currently possessed. 942 Col was the number reflected.

He crumbled hopelessly into the ground. Once again, the village NPCs paid him no attention. If accessories that gave miniscule stat boosts were this expensive, then how expensive would special stats be? He quickly left the bazaar, heading towards the lodge that he would sleep in for the night. He entered the lodge, and the familiar innkeeper NPC entered his vision. It was a female, the same one which would hand him the quest for the **[Anneal Blade]**.

Kirito sat on the counter, as the innkeeper also served as a cook.

"Sorry we can't serve any food at the current moment, a glass of water is all that is available right now." It was the same dialogue as the beta, so kirito knew the required action. He drank the the cup of water, placing it down on the counter after finishing. Instantly, Kirito could hear a soft coughing noise coming from upstairs.

"Is everything alright?" It was the dialogue that would trigger the quest.

Kirito smiled, as he already knew what the quest was going to be. The innkeeper's daughter was sick, and the medicine required the ingredient of the **[Little Nepenthes's Ovule]**. The quest was fairly simple, but time consuming as the drop required a specific Nepenthes to have the flower growing. The drop rate of the item in the beta was low. It would require some hardcore grindi-

"My child is sick, she was cursed by the **[Ruin Kobold Shaman]**. The curse can only be cured by slaying the shaman. The shaman hides in the Kobold base that is near the river." Kirito's eyebrows raised at the dialogue. What the hell? What about the **[Little Nepenthes]**? Did the quest change? Why?

Another huge change from the beta was that quests did not show the recommended level for the quest. Players would blindly accept quests that they had no clue as to whether they could handle it or not. Luckily for Kirito, he hadn't experienced any major changes from the beta. That is, until now.

He mulled over the possibility of the current quest having a trap. Kirito decided to take a risk. He had a teleport stone, and although they were expensive as hell, they were worth using if it was going to save his life.

 **« Eradicating the Curse: Will you accept this quest? »**

 **« Yes/No »**

"Don't worry, I'll slay the shaman." The innkeeper smiled at his words and clasped his hands, repeating words of thanks. Kirito went upstairs to find his bed that was free of charge. He smiled. It wasn't that Kirito was a cheapskate, but after seeing how expensive items were, he doubted that sleeping at a lodge was cheap. He gained a new appreciation for his hard earned money. It was likely that he would become very stingy with money in the future.

He lied down on his bed, setting the alarm to wake him up early, at the start of the morning. He would try and reach level 4 before attempting the quest.

 _ **X-Sword Art online:Realization-X**_

"Tsk!" Kirito gritted his teeth as another **[Ruin Kobold Recruit]** was slain. His schedule was moving according to plan, as he had reached level 4 in the morning. After, he had actively started to search for the Kobold camp, following the river.

He was filled with delight, as he expected the camp to be hard to find. The original quest in the beta required grinding, but it seemed that he would be able to finish this one quickly. Did this mean that the **[Anneal Blade]** was significantly less powerful than the beta? The number of enemies in the camp told him otherwise.

Kirito understood now why the camper allowed him to stay at the village for free for a while. The camp was swarmed with enemies, and heading in straight through the front was suicide. In the first day, Kirito had lured small mobs by throwing stones or making loud noises in the bushes. No matter how many he killed, it seemed that the number of **[Ruin Kobold Recruits]** weren't decreasing.

The process was grueling, as Kirito had to wait for the perfect opportunity to distract them. One wrong move, and the entire camp would charge right at him. His heart filled with despair when he couldn't even kill a fourth of them, even when he had spent the entire day. He was worried that all his efforts would disappear, as they might respawn.

His worries were dismissed on the second day. When Kirito headed towards the camp, the numbers of recruits had decreased, meaning that it was most probable that the recruits did not respawn until the quest was finished. Still, his temper rose for every time he killed another recruit. Although he didn't keep track of the amounts of enemies he killed, Kirito estimated that he was nearing the 60 mark. Even then, he couldn't spot the **[Ruin Kobold Shaman]**.

He slapped himself in the face to regain focus. He needed the **[Anneal Blade]** , as the item was most likely going to set his build path. The item was too good to miss. He wasn't going to give up because the quest was time consuming. He was fucking Kirito, the completer of many RPGs. A little grinding wasn't going to hurt his spirit.

Or that's what he thought.

He was currently on the fifth day, and Kirito was spending every hour awake luring and killing the **[Ruin Kobold Recruits]**. Kirito felt his mental capacity reaching his limit.

"FUCK!" He yelled as he repeatedly slashed down towards one of the monsters. He cursed the damned creature and the changed quest. He didn't have the luxury to spend so much time on a single quest. The gain he got in return was too little now.

The **[Ruin Kobold Recruits]** were level 4, and Kirito had now hit Level 5 after hunting for so many. Now that his level was higher than the monsters that he was hunting, the amount of Exp he received in return was miniscule and inefficient. Efficiency was the most important thing right now.

He was no expert in knowing how long his body would last in real life, but he wanted to escape as soon as possible. His hope was slowly dwindling as he realized that he spent a week and a half without clearing even the first floor…

The drops of his current prey appeared in front of him as a game message when he turned around and charged. He gripped his sword harder, as he saw another **[Ruin Kobold Recruit]**. He made quick work of the enemy, climbing up one of the trees to get to higher grounds. Finally, he could walk in the camp. There were almost no enemies.

He heard the laughter of a madman enter his ears as he approached the recruits. It took a little while for Kirito to realize that the laughter was coming from himself. Finally, finally! Kirito let out a roar as he charged towards the recruits. He swore that he saw the monster recoil in fear as Kirito entered their line of sight.

Only one recruit was inside the camp, and Kirito walked slowly towards the monster. He had cleared the entire camp in five days. Yet still, Kirito couldn't find the one responsible for the curse. He stabbed the recruit straight through the heart, and Kirito growled as he looked around. Where was the shaman?

As if on queue, after the final **[Ruin Kobold Recruit]** exploded, the shaman emerged from one of the crude huts. Kirito gritted his teeth. Did the **[Ruin Kobold Shaman]** only come out after all the recruits were slain?

Kirito charged towards the Shaman, wanting to put on pressure. The enemy was a shaman, which meant that spells would be the main choice of offense. He needed to stay close, so that the shaman couldn't cast the spells.

Or, that was what a shaman was supposed to do.

Instead, the shaman pulled out a small knife, thrusting it forward. Kirito, who was already stuck in the charging motion, twisted his body as much as he could, in an attempt to dodge the surprise attack. He was somewhat successful in his dodge, as the attack only grazed him. The combat system depended on the player's skill. Although the enemies had near perfect accuracy, the player could dodge the attacks as long as they had the reflexes.

His eyes widened in shock as he saw a small icon appear under his name.

 **« Minor Curse »**

 **« AGI reduced by 15% »**

 **« STR reduced by 15% »**

 **« DEX reduced by 15% »**

 **« VIG Reduced by 15% »**

"Shit!" Kirito cursed loudly as he went back into his fighting stance. Status effects already in the first floor? Even worse, a debuffing stat? He was in a major disadvantage in the fight now. He shuddered as he read the name of the debuff. This debuff was one of the weaker versions, and he didn't want to imagine what kinds of debuff existed in the upper floors.

Frustration showed on Kirito's face as he tried to attack again. He had lost one point in agility because of the debuff, and he could feel the effects already. His movements were slower, and his attacks did significantly less damage. Still, the fight would end with his victory.

The shaman was a similar enemy to that of the recruits, so their **[[Critical Spot]]** would be similar also. The spot was the head. The head was protected by a head armor piece that had multiple slits through it, allowing the user of the armor to see through the slits. Although his damage was lower, if he was able to make the Shaman **[Vulnerable]** , then he would be able to win the fight.

He waited for the **[Ruin Kobold Shaman]** to attack first. His strategy was to force the shaman into the same mistake he had made at the beginning of the fight. His weapon had a greater reach than the small knife the shaman had. Kirito reared his sword back, aiming his thrust towards the slit in the head armor. The enemy shaman was stuck in its attack motion, and Kirito grinned as his sword entered the head armor.

A strangled cry signaling **[Vulnerability]** entered Kirito's ears, and he continued his next attack.

" **«Swift Strike»**!" Kirito pulled back the sword near his waist, holding the motion for a moment before he felt the unique feeling of the system assisting the action. He let loose his **[Beginner's Blade]** , slashing the shaman in half. The shaman dispersed, and a game window appeared.

 **« Ruin Kobold Shaman Drops: »**

 **« 160 Col »**

 **« 50 Exp »**

Kirito's legs gave out, making him fall to his knees. He looked up towards the beautiful blue sky, silent tears falling the side of his face. This was a beautiful moment to celebrate. He would use some money to buy himself a feast later on. Five days of hunting, and he finally finished the quest. The skull icon under his name had disappeared. Kirito laughed, standing up as he felt energy come back into his legs.

He ran back towards the innkeeper, bursting in through the inn. As he entered, he saw the innkeeper NPC hugging her child. The child was laughing as she was trapped in the embrace of her guardian.

"Thank you, thank you so much! I knew you killed the shaman the moment I entered her room! I'm sorry, I don't have much to give you... " She trailed off silently before noticing his sword.

"Oh, are you an adventurer? Please, take this sword! It's a longsword handed down from our family." Kirito let out an evil laugh as he saw the game message appear in front of him.

 **« You have acquired the following for completing the following quest: »**

 **« Eradicating the Curse »**

 **« 100 Col »**

 **« 10 Exp »**

 **« 1x Anneal Blade »**

Kirito dismissed the low amount of Col and Exp he received. It was no doubt because of the grinding that was needed to be done in order to complete the quest, that the two rewards were so low. The real prize of the quest was the **[Anneal Blade]** anyways.

He opened up his inventory, looking at the stat requirements for the anneal blade. Unlike his **[Beginner's Sword]** , which showed the art of the sword on top of a white background, the **[Anneal Blade]** had a blue background. The text of the weapon was also written in red, unlike the typical black. It was because of the loot system of the game.

Drops were categorized into different colors, which represented their rarity. There was the white color, which represented common. Then came green, which stood for uncommon. Next was blue, which was rare. Purple represented the epic items, with orange being the last. An item with a orange color meant that the item was a legendary item. Beta testers theorized that legendary items were almost impossible to get, as no one in the beta could obtain a legendary item. They played for well over a month, and no one could obtain one.

The red text meant that the item was **[[Unique]]**. This signified that the item could only be obtained through the specific enemy or quest. No other monster, boss, or quest would drop the item. It also meant that the item had a extra ability. If his memory served correctly, the **[Anneal Blade]** was the only unique item in the first few floors.

Kirito clicked on the **[Anneal Blade]** , making sure that he looked at the complete details of the weapon.

 **« Anneal Blade »**

 **« A blade handed down the generations of one of the settlers of Horunka. »**

 **« The item is different from others, from the fact that it can be upgraded to the state of +10, »**

 **« compared to the other items which can only be upgraded into +5 »**

 **« Required Stats to Equip »**

 **« Level Requirement: Level 5 »**

 **« STR: 25 »**

 **« DEX: 20 »**

 **« AGI: 15 »**

 **« All other stats: 1 »**

 **« STR Scaling: D »**

 **« DEX Scaling: D »**

 **« ATU Slots: 0 »**

 **« Required material to Upgrade to Anneal Blade +1 »**

 **« 3x Wolf Claws »**

 **« Weight: 13.2 »**

 **« Damage: 38 »**

Kirito closed the weapon window, heading straight towards his status window. He took a deep breath, staring at his 40 unused Status points. Without any hesitation, he allocated his points to the required stats. 13 into strength and dexterity, 9 into agility. He used 35 points without hesitation, leading to only 5 points left. He let out a sigh of relief as he finished. He thanked himself for being patient enough to save his points.

The requirements for the **[Anneal Blade]** weren't very flexible, forcing him to almost use all his points into meeting the requirements. If he had used some points on experimenting on the other stats, then he would have to level up, unable to equip the sword.

Still, Kirito couldn't help but worry as he stared at his status window. All of his stats were focused on the major offensive stats, with almost no investment on the defensive stats. This meant that his choices for armors were going to be very limited. It was one of the major problems Kirito noticed at the beginning. As mentioned earlier, it seemed that build paths were determined in the beginning. He would have to focus on being a DPS character.

He questioned the **ATU** slot, but dismissed the thought as his sword had none. With the new information, he could make a better guess. It was probably a stat which allowed one to have more equipment with **ATU** slots. Kirito deducted that **ATU** slots were slots that allowed equipment to be buffed with items.

Kirito proceeded to equip his new weapon. The sword materialized in front of him, landing gingerly on his hands. He unsheathed the sword, inspecting it at different angles. The design was the same as the beta, consisting of a handle wrapped in black bandages. The end of the handle had and iron cap. The hilt of the sword was also made of iron, stretching out into opposite directions. The main blade was black, with the edges of the blade being silver.

He closed the status window, before opening up his inventory. He scanned through his inventory, a satisfactory smiling showing on his face as he found the item that he needed.

 **« 15x Wolf Claws »**

He had more than enough to level up his **[Anneal Blade]** twice. The unique effect of the **[Anneal Blade]** was to level it up 10 times instead of the original 5. Although items in later floors could be upgraded up to 10 times as its basic amount, those items would be appearing somewhere around the 5th floor. In other words, his **[Anneal Blade]** would set himself up to be fine until then.

Although Kirito would've loved to stay in _**[Horunka]**_ , he needed to return to the _**[City of Beginnings]**_. The village had no **[[Blacksmiths]]** , and his current agenda required him to upgrade his sword, as well as to level up.

So Kirito left the village, heading back towards the starting city. He had isolated himself for a significant period of time trying to obtain the **[Anneal Blade]** , and he needed to see if there was anything going on in the main city.

As he arrived, Kirito headed straight towards the Bazaar section of the city, which held all the **[[Merchants]]** and **[[Blacksmiths]]**. He glanced around, making sure that there were no player **[[Merchants]]** or **[[Blacksmiths]]**. If there were, he would make sure to head straight to them, in order to help them level up their respective skills. As the **[[Blacksmith]]** and **[[Merchant]]** **[[lifestyle]]** weren't discovered yet, he doubted any player took the job, unless it was discovered without him knowing.

He approached the **[[Blacksmith]]** , following the needed dialogue in order to get his sword upgraded. He handed the materials over, and watched as the NPC got to work. His sword was heated in fire, set into an anvil as it was glowing red with heat. The man then melted the required materials, proceeding to pour the contents onto the sword. The NPC lifted his hammer, slamming on the sword in a mechanical way. After 5 swings, A message window appeared in front of Kirito.

 **« Anneal Blade has been successfully upgraded to: Anneal Blade +1! »**

 **« Damage has been increased by 6! »**

He closed the message window, expecting the upgrade to succeed. It was only the first upgrade, and the chances of it failing were close to zero. Kirito opened up the window for his **[Anneal Blade +1]** , seeing what the required upgrade materials were. They required **[8x Wolf Claws]** , so Kirito immediately repeated the process.

 **« Anneal Blade has been successfully upgraded to: Anneal Blade +2! »**

 **« Damage has been increased by 8! »**

Overall, his primary weapon now dealt 14 more damage. Although it may sound little, when factoring in that 10 upgrades were possible, it meant that the sword could possibly deal over 80 damage from just upgrades. Also, as the sword had a base damage of 38, it meant that 4-5 upgrades could make the sword do double it's damage.

The next set of materials consisted of 5 **[Night Wolf Bones]** , which as the name suggested, could only be obtained in the night time as that was when the monster spawned. It was currently nearing around 4 PM, so Kirito decided to head towards the city tavern in order to obtain information. He needed to know what the other players were doing.

Kirito entered the tavern, eyes widening at the large amounts of players gathered. Many players that purchased a copy of the game were previous MMORPG players, and it seemed that they all thought that players would gather in the tavern to exchange information.

As he found a seat, he listened in the multiple conversations that were going on around him. As he focused, Kirito noticed that many of these players were beginners, and that most of them had only questions, and no answers. As he listened, he grimaced.

It seemed that many of the players had not ventured outside of the city. They all thought that this was some sick joke, that people from the real world would get them out of this predicament. Only a small portion had ventured outside, a smaller portion leveling up. As the days passed by, it seemed that some people even tried to end their own lives, jumping off the edges of the map hoping that they would get liberated from the game.

"Someone found a door resembling the entrance to the 1st floor's boss. There's going to be a meeting that discusses the plans for defeating it. It's going to take place in two days in front of the statue fountain at 6 Pm. Please come if you want to help clear the game!" Kirito clung onto those words as he memorized the time, location, and date. The only way to invigorate the spirits and morale was to prove that the game was beatable.

 _ **X-Sword Art Online:Realization-X**_

* * *

 **Afternote**

 **This fic combines different elements of different RPGs as you guys will mostly notice. From darksouls, to Final Fantasy, to Borderlands, it combines the elements of what is my dream RPG. I hope you guys had fun reading.**


	3. Chapter 2 - Argo

**Author's Note**

 **Welcome to the second chapter! So far I'm having real fun writing the story. I hope you readers are having just as much fun reading. For those who decided to read the story based on the romance tag, I apologize. Like the synopsis says, the romance is going to come at a seriously slow pace. I've written up to chapter 5, and although there is interaction, there's no sign of romance yet.**

 **Time for a review response!**

 **RStyle: Thank you for the reviews! I agree with you, the Aincrad Arc is commonly used in the fandom. The problem lies in a different place: Like you said, most of them reword or retell the events of the original story too often. I'm honestly fine if they use one or two events from the original story, but when it tells the exact same story word for word, it gets really annoying. I hope I can continue to meet or surpass your expectations!**

 **GirugameshPanda: Thank you for giving this story a chance! I've only been able to read the first volume of the progressive novel. It's a shame they couldn't start the original story like that. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to play any of the games, instead watching playthroughs. I've thought about adding Strea and Philia, but haven't reached a decision yet. It's mostly due to the fact that the characters were from the game. I'm not sure if the majority of the people that read the story would know the two characters. Most likely, I'll add them because I'm adding characters from the progressive story.**

 **[Text] - In-game item or monster names**

 **[[Text]] - SAO terms**

 **«Text» - Game menu text or skill names**

 _ **[Text]**_ **\- In-game locations**

* * *

 _ **X-Sword Art Online:Realization-X**_

He had two days in order to prepare for the boss fight. He needed to reach the highest level possible, as well as upgrade his weapon. He headed back out towards the fields, running towards the next area with the highest level monsters on the first floor.

He slayed copious amounts of monsters, ignoring many game windows that appeared in front of him each time. He repeated the process until he saw that the monsters were now different. It was night, and now the **[Night Wolves]** were spawning.

As Kirito fought with his new boosts in stats, fights became easier, and Kirito could understand some of the stats better. Strength made it so that attacks hit harder, increasing the user's raw damage output. It also increased the **[[Weight Capacity]]** , allowing players to hold more items in their inventory.

Dexterity also increased the main damage output, but dexterity shined the most when attacking **[[Vulnerable]]** opponents. The damage multiplier increased based on the amount of dexterity points the player had.

Agility allowed players to execute more basic attacks in a shorter time. They also decreased the down time after using a **[[Sword Arts]]**. Finally, agility allowed players to move faster, in terms of running and dodging. Kirito understood why the **[Anneal Blade]** required these three stats. The blade was a damage focused weapon.

Still, using the **[Anneal Blade]** had it's pros and cons.

The most obvious pro was that the damage output of the weapon was insane. It melted weaker monsters like butter, and with the combined stats of **AGI** , **STR** , and **DEX** , the sword allowed the player to deal increased damage to **[[Vulnerable]]** targets, deal more damage in general, and allow more attacks. The weapon made the user do a budget hit-and-run tactic.

The major con was that his defense was pitifully weak. One attack from a similarly leveled monster dealt large amounts of damage to him. He also couldn't hold a shield, or gain any powerful armor because of the sword.

Still, the pros far outweighed the cons, as Kirito was farming the **[Night Wolves]** like crazy. If the upgrade list followed the previous pattern, then the next two or three upgrades would consist of varying amounts of **[Night Wolf Bones].** Kirito wanted to cut down on travel times, so he slayed as many as he could at once, hoping to obtain many drops.

His attention was diverted as he heard a large sound emit near him. Kirito was resting, panting as he tried to catch his breath. He aimed the game assisted light around, aiming it towards the source of the sound. His eyes widened, and his breath caught in his throat as he saw what was appearing. The ground in front of him was painted like a black vortex, and a large hand emerged from the blackness.

The hand seemed to be pulling its body out, as a even larger body appeared. Kirito's jaw dropped as he read the description of the enemy in front of him

 **« Night Giant: Level 7 »**

Kirito cursed as he hastily pulled out a teleportation crystal. He held the crystal in his off hand, before hesitating on using it. It may have been a dumb decision, but he wanted to fight the monster in front of him, to see what Kayaba was throwing at the players.

Kirito took a deep gulp, preparing the crystal just in case. With a large roar, he charged towards the **[Night Giant]** before it's full body emerged. He hacked repeatedly, using **«Reinforced Slash»** on the giant. He would only risk using his **[[Sword Arts]]** now, as it seemed that the giant was busy pulling its body out.

After the giant fully emerged, Kirito slashed once more with just his basic attacks, before repositioning himself near the giant's feet. Against a larger enemy, it was suicidal to fight the monster from mid-range. The enemy would far out range you, while using the space available to attack using full swings. It would be near impossible to parry or block the blows without any recoil.

So Kirito stayed near the base of the giant to make sure that the giant would lose vision of him. This tactic would also make the giant unable to use the giant axe it held. In response to the current situation, the **[Night Giant]** raised it's foot to try and slam it down on Kirito.

Adrenaline pumping, Kirito nimbly sidestepped the attack thanks to his **AGI**. Although he dodged the attack, the force of the attack caused the wind to blow Kirito off-balance, making him fall to the ground. He cursed under his breath, scrambling his feet to stand back up.

As he stood up, he saw the axe of the **[Night Giant]** slam down. He rolled as fast as he could, once again recoiling from the aftershock of the attack. The attack was too close. Kirito stood up, running towards the feet of the giant to ensure a safer position. Landing a couple of basic attacks, Kirito paused to see the next action of the giant.

A direct attack from the giant could mean instant death, and that was something Kirito did not want. The giant resorted back to raising its foot, trying to squash the menace that was beneath him. Kirito dodged the attack, making sure that he was out of range from the aftershock of the attack.

The giant was slow in recovering, and Kirito knew he would have to repeat the process multiple times to weaken the giant. It would be slow, it would be tedious, but it would be worth it. He felt as if he had a grasp on the attack patterns of the **[Night Giant]**. He felt confident, and he repeated the strategy over and over again, chipping away at the giant's health.

Luckily, his **[Anneal Blade]** was strong enough to deal significant damage to the giant. His attacks left a noticeable mark on the health bar, and the fact alone made him smile. His smile disappeared as the giant roared, causing Kirito to stop in his tracks.

The healthbar of the giant was in the red, and it had used its trump card. Kirito grimaced as he felt his body shake from the sound. His vision was becoming hazy, but he could make out the axe that was swinging horizontally towards him.

Kirito raised the sword to block the attack, moving his second hand behind the blade to reinforce it. As the axe made contact, Kirito felt his body fling to the side as the **[Night Giant]** finished it's attack. He gasped for air, checking his health bar to see how much he had left.

He shook in fear as he saw that his health bar was almost reduced by a third. Even with a block, the attack had managed to penetrate through his health. Suddenly, the offensive stats of the **[Anneal Blade]** didn't seem so great.

He had no other choice but to stand up and rush the giant. The attack pattern was simple. The giant would begin with the stomping attack. Once it missed, it would now proceed to yell out the roar that immobilized any players around it.

As Kirito sensed the first attack, he charged up his own attack, waiting for the system to assist him. It was a risk, but he was willing to take it. As the **[Night Giant]** raised its leg, Kirito let loose his **«Reinforced Slash»**. The attack made the giant lose balance, causing it to fall to the side.

The giant thrashed around, trying to stand up. Kirito was not going to let an opportunity like this slip. He yelled out, attacking the giant as fast as he could. He slashed left, right, and diagonally, watching the giant's health bar decrease with each attack.

Kirito didn't even realize that the fight was over, slashing at the empty air. It was only when the bell of the game system entered his ear that he realized that he had won. He collapsed on the floor, staring at the night sky. A silent laugh bubbled it's way out of his throat, before full-blown laughter erupted from him. After his laughter stopped, he glanced at the game window to see his spoils of war.

 **« Night Giant Drops: »**

 **« 520 Col »**

 **« 950 Exp »**

 **« 1x Core of the Night »**

 **« Congratulations, you are now Level 7! »**

 **« You have unlocked the Sword Arts: Explosive Charge! »**

Although he was surprised that he gained two levels, he was too exhausted to show it. He would have extra points to allocate, as well as a new **[[Sword Arts]]** to learn. He just wanted to sleep in a comfortable bed at an inn. He groggily stood up, walking like a zombie towards the inn. He was going to upgrade his **[Anneal Blade]** tomorrow, and grind some more. He couldn't believe that the enemy was not even a miniboss.

He didn't know that the **[Night Giant]** had a 1/1000 chance to spawn on the first floor at night.

 _ **X-Sword Art Online:Realization-X**_

A groan escaped his mouth as sunlight entered his vision. Waking up in a slothish manner, Kirito sat up on his bed, eyes still drifting shut. The time was only 6 AM, but it was a schedule that Kirito followed closely. The amounts of players that grinded as hard as him was little to none, but it still didn't hurt having most of the farming grounds to himself.

After a short moment, Kirito felt his mind clear up, so he opened up his inventory, before taking out a **[Bread Loaf]**. He sighed as he took a bite of the food. It still felt weird when he felt the food fill his stomach up like the real world.

Food wasn't a necessity in this world, but Kayaba sure did a damn good job making it seem like one. If only there was a way to make the bread taste better. Buying food from a restaurant cost a lot, and Kirito preferred to use his cash on things that would help him clear the game.

After eating his fill, he walked out towards the city. The streets were empty with only the NPCs. Like the real world, very few people were diligent in waking up. Kirito himself was one of those people, but his current situation made him change his entire schedule.

His first priority was to go to a bazaar to try and see what the item **[Core of the Night]** did. It was a rare item, having a blue background. The name itself made it seem as if the item was very significant. Approaching a NPC **[[Merchant]],** Kirito handed the item as well as some Col over, waiting for the **[[Merchant]]** to identify it.

"Adventurer, where did you find this? It's a rare item that is used in mostly jewels. Other purposes for the item are not well known. But because of the expensive price of jewels, you can sell these for a hefty price." Kirito opened his mouth in understanding as the NPC explained.

"How much will you buy it for then?" Kirito asked. The NPC stroked his chin before answering.

"How does 8000 Col sound?" Kirito coughed as he heard the amount that was offered to him. 8000? 8 freaking thousand? He did some quick calculations in his head. The **[Night Giant]** had given him 520 Col. The core was worth the deaths of almost 16 giants? He felt some drool escape his mouth from the thought of having 8000 Col. Was that why the item was rare, having a blue background?

He held back the instinct to instantly grab at the offer. Instead, Kirito decided to hold the item to see if there was going to be any other use. If the dialogue of the NPC was any hint, it was that there were unknown uses for the item.

His curiosity slightly sated, Kirito headed back towards the **[[Blacksmith]]**. He had enough materials to upgrade his **[Anneal Blade]** to +4, so he handed the materials over, and clasped his hands together to pray for success.

Failed upgrades caused many things to happen to a weapon. The first was that it decreased the overall durability for an item. For example, if the **[Beginner's Blade]** hand the durability of 100/100, and a player failed to upgrade it, it would decrease to 90/90. If another failure occurred, it would get reduced to 80/80. Each weapon's durability got decreased by a different amount based on the weapon. The durability of a weapon could be increased, but it required a ridiculous amount of materials and money to do.

Second was that Col was wasted. Attempting an upgrade was not the cheapest, especially once you tried to max the weapon. Each failed attempt would drain a player of their Col, not to mention lower the durability of the weapon.

In the extreme cases, the weapon could get **[Cracked]** by a failed upgrade. Although the chances were very slim, the possibility still existed. A **[Cracked]** weapon decreased the overall stats of the weapon. In order to fix it, money and materials were required. Even if a player succeeded at repairing the weapon, all upgrades would be reset. A failed upgrade would cause his agenda for the day to change, and it wasn't what he wanted. He let out a sigh of relief when he read the game window.

 **« Anneal Blade has been successfully upgraded to: Anneal Blade +4! »**

 **« Damage has been increased by 12! »**

In total, four upgrades increased the weapon's damage by 36. It was basically double the base amount. He smiled his approval, noting what the next upgrade material was.

 **« Required material to Upgrade to Anneal Blade +5 »**

 **« 1x Blue Stone Ore »**

Kirito scratched his head as he read the material list. A frown showed, as he understood that the item would be hard to acquire, given that you only needed one. He had never heard of the **[Blue Stone Ore]** even in the beta, so Kirito let out a sigh.

An idea appeared in his mind, and Kirito headed towards the city trade center. The area was used to announce if a player was searching for an item, weapon, or anything of the sorts. The NPCs would post the requests on a billboard. If another player knew the information, or had the said item, then the player could try to bargain with the other player. Kirito signed up for information on the **[Blue Stone Ore]** hoping that someone would contact him back soon.

The only thing left that he needed to do before leaving the city was to allocate his 16 points that he acquired from leveling up. He still had the idle 5 points from before. It was tempting to allocate them to the offensive stats, but the glaring weakness in his build from yesterday's fight made him hesitate.

He closed the status window, deciding that the best choice was to wait, just as he had done with his first points. He headed out of the city, thoughts of grinding on his mind. Unfortunately, the highest level monsters he could find were only level 6, being the **[Greater Wolves]**. Because of his level, he didn't have any efficient way of farming Exp.

He sat in the fields waiting for the mobs to respawn, before an NPC came into his sight. The NPC was battered, cuts showing on the skin with clothes ripped. The NPC was limping, before collapsing onto his knees.

Kirito rushed towards the NPC, grabbing hold of the man's shoulders, trying to shake him awake.

"Sir, are you okay?" His words seemed to have triggered the next dialogue as the man replied.

"Adventurer, please, help everyone back at the field!" The NPC fainted afterwards, hands slouching with eyes closed. It was just an NPC, but it felt surreal. Kirito took a deep breath as he stared at the quest initiation message.

 **« Clearing the Fields: Will you accept this quest? »**

 **« Quest must be finished in 20 minutes »**

 **« Yes/No »**

He stared at the requirement of the mission. It required him to most likely kill a mob that invaded the territory of an NPC house. The map showed the location in which he needed to head towards. He tilted his head in confusion as he saw the destination. It was a small farm that he almost always passed by. Was this quest only available at this specific time?

Kirito glanced at the small timer that appeared under his username. It was slowly ticking down. He arrived at the quest destination, and his eyes widened as he saw mobs of different **[Wolf]** enemies attacking the livestock of the NPC.

He unsheathed his **[Anneal Blade]** , running towards the mobs. As he scanned the mobs, he was relieved to see that they were mostly lower leveled monsters. He took the opportunity to try out his newskill, **«Explosive Charge»**. The required motion was to move the sword back over his shoulder. He held the motion, hearing the sound of the skill activating. The next moment, Kirito ripped his sword forward, yelping in surprise as he felt his body charge forward.

It was as if the attack was propelling him forward. It was quite indeed, an explosive charge.

He was quite pleased to see the attack cut through multiple enemies. He felt his sweat drop, as his body was frozen after the attack. The attack had a long down time, and he felt some of the monsters land their attacks on him.

As soon as he felt his body move again, Kirito rushed backwards, relying on basic attacks. He peeked at the time remaining, and smiled in response. The quest was going to be completed easily on time.

A few minutes later, he completed the quest, and smiled hesitantly when he saw the mission giving NPC walk up to him. The man was miraculously healthy now, all signs of injuries gone. It was one of the benefits of being a NPC.

"I cannot thank you enough for getting rid of those terrible creatures! Please, take this with you! It's the pride and joy of our farm, handmade." Kirito received two petite jars from the man. He couldn't see the contents inside, so he waited for the game window to tell him what he had received.

 **« You have acquired the following for completing the following quest: »**

 **« Clearing the Fields »**

 **« 220 Col »**

 **« 80 Exp »**

 **« 5x Handmade Butter »**

 **« 5x Handmade Strawberry Jam »**

His eyes lit up like a child on christmas day as he read the reward. It wasn't possible. Strawberry jam and butter? It was a dream come true. No longer would he have to eat the stale taste of plain bread. He had possibly received the greatest gift. He nodded his approval, giving the farmer a thumbs up.

"We sell these products, so if you ever want more, please come here!" Kirito mentally noted the sacred location of the farm. Before, the NPCs would give no dialogue even when he tried to talk with them. When he talked to them now, there was a dialogue option that opened up the shop. It seemed that the quest needed to be completed before being able to buy the products.

Still, it was going to be difficult for many people to finish the quest. The quest initiated at around 7 AM. Well, it was up to the people as to whether they wanted to obtain the jam or not.

Looking at the amount of Col he now possessed, he was pleasantly surprised to see the number. He currently held 2160 Col. Kirito decided that he would take time to buy some accessories at _**[Horunka]**_. Although expensive, the items there provided stat boosts that he needed. He would see if there were any accessories that provided defensive boosts.

He located the location of the village on the map and headed for the village, killing enemies that were in his pathway. The meeting for clearing the first boss was a day away. He was going to prepare for the boss and make sure that they could win. If they did, then more people would help in trying to clear the game.

As he arrived to the village, he saw another player exit the inn. From the determined look on his face, Kirito could tell that the man was another player attempting to try and complete the quest for the **[Anneal Blade]**. It was most likely a Beta tester, as almost no one knew of this location still. Kirito smiled, and silently wished the player a good luck.

He scanned the merchandise that was laid out in front of him.

Unlike the first time, which he left after seeing the price on the first item, Kirito made sure to look at the stats of every item. He grimaced as he saw the prices. It would no doubt leave a heavy dent on his savings. There were rings, earrings, wristbands, and headbands that raised different stats, but Kirito settled on one that raised his defensive stats.

 **« Armlet of the Brave »**

 **« An armlet said to be given to only those with the bravest of hearts. »**

 **« Required Stats to Equip »**

 **« Level Requirement: 5 »**

 **« Effect: +1 VIG, +1 END »**

 **« Cost: 925 Col »**

 **« Will you purchase this item? »**

 **« Yes/No »**

With a final sigh, Kirito accepted the purchase, immediately equipping the item. He focused on his stat window, trying to pinpoint what stats **VIG** and **END** added. Kirito noted that his maximum hp rose by a small amount. Combined with that, his stat called **[[Poise]]** as well as **[[Defense]]** also rose by a small amount.

Defense was self-explanatory, but Kirito did not understand what **[[Poise]]** was. He frowned. Another piece of information that he needed to find out. He wanted to consider himself knowledgeable about the game, but it seemed that he wasn't even close to knowing all of the game's mechanics.

A notification appeared on Kirito's game menu, and he proceeded to click on it. His eyes widened as he read the words.

 **« Trade Center Notification »**

 **« A person holding a Blue Stone Ore is willing to bargain with you »**

 **« Are you willing to message with them right now? »**

 **« Yes/No »**

He spammed the yes button multiple times as the game connected him to the mysterious person. A small chat window appeared in front of him, and he read the message that the person sent first.

« I want to see what you have. Only then will I trade the **[Blue Stone Ore]**. »

Kirito was about to message the person back, but was stopped as another message appeared.

« Meet me at the alley behind the tavern right now. Bye. »

The message ended and Kirito stared dumbfoundedly at the words. It seemed that the person was interested in only conducting business. Although Kirito didn't hate that, he wished that the person would at least let him get a word in.

He found himself running across the fields of Aincrad again, wishing that Kayaba had at least added some kind of transportation system for them to travel more easily.

 _ **X-Sword Art Online:Realization-X**_

"Are you the mysterious bargainer of mine?" Kirito asked as he gasped for breath. He looked up towards the figure, and was surprised to see a young female. She had a petite and skinny frame, looking very agile and nimble. Focusing on her face, Kirito could see brown eyes and curly auburn hair. She was wearing the basic **[Beginner's Armor]** , but had an extra accessory, which was a hood that covered some of her face.

He laughed hesitantly as he saw the stranger glare at him.

"Do you know how long I waited?" Kirito could sense anger and impatience hidden underneath her voice.

"I'm sorry! It's just that I was at the opposite side of the first floor when I got your message!" He felt her eyes narrow, as if to sense whether he was lying.

"Whatever. As an apology, I expect you to treat me to a drink at least." She turned around to leave.

"Huh?" His eyes could only widen as he heard the forced deal of the lady. He felt apologetic for making her wait, but forcing him to buy a drink because of it? That was blasphemy! Considering that she held the advantage, having the item that he wanted, he stayed silent and complied to her wishes. The two walked into a cafe, and the girl ordered one of the more expensive drinks without looking at the menu. This surprised Kirito, but it died down as he saw the lips of the girl curling into a smile. It was obvious that she had seen his annoyed expression.

"Anyways, what do you want in exchange for the **[Blue Stone Ore]**?" He initiated the conversation.

"Please. Can you wait until a lady has finished her drink?" She was blatantly teasing him now, and he felt a tick appear on his forehead in frustration. He sat silently, staring daggers at the player sitting in front of him. He swore that she was sipping her drink slowly on purpose.

After what seemed like an eternity, her drink was finally empty.

"Ah, that was so refreshing! Thank you for buying the drink! Oh, I'm Argo by the way." She said as she smiled coyly.

"Alright, time for business. I'm only interested in a few things. One, information. If you have some key information that I don't have, then I'll trade you the ore for that. Two, Col. Though, I'll charge for a hefty price." Oh, now she was willing to do business? Kirito took it back. She wasn't someone who was interested in only conducting business.

Kirito racked his brain as he stared at Argo. Information or money? That was awfully specific. He didn't trust the person in front of him completely. He could try and offer information, but Argo could just act as if she knew the information that was being told. The easiest way was to offer Col.

"I'm Kirito. I don't think I have any information that would meet your requirements. For Col, I can offer you 500 for the **[Blue Stone Ore]**." He asked hopefully.

"Nope." His hope was shot down too fast. He raised his eyebrows, silently asking the question 'why?'

"1000 Col." Kirito choked on his own saliva as he heard the amount she wanted. Although he did have 1000 Col, he was not interested in spending the rest of his savings on a single ore. Or was he?

"Ummm… Argo? I don't have that muc-"

"Lies." He was cut off by her abrupt word.

"Your armlet. It's the **[Armlet of the Brave]** , no? That thing alone costs near 1000 Col. To equip that thing, it means you're level 5. Considering the fact that the item can only be obtained in a specific bazaar, you know where _**[Horunka]**_ village is. Areas near the village have some of the greatest farming mobs, which I doubt you missed. I doubt you spent all your money on buying that single armlet. Even if you did, you just need to kill a few tens of mobs in order to gain that money." She was staring at him in a lethargic way, reciting the information off the top of her head.

Kirito felt a shiver run down his spine as he let out a half-hearted laugh.

Who the hell was Argo? It's another thing to know the items of the game, but it was crazy to know the costs, location, as well as requirements for the item! He avoided making eye contact with Argo as she was continually staring at him.

She smirked as he saw sweat appear on his forehead. Inside, she was disappointed. When she initially saw Kirito, she expected him to know things that she didn't. He was well equipped, and well overleveled compared to the others. She sighed inwardly. Guess she wouldn't learn anything new today. It was one of the sad things about being an information broker. You knew too much.

"Well, I'm going to leave now." She said. She was about to stand up, before she heard Kirito yell out to her desperately.

"Wait wait wait wait wait!" He said as he leaned over the table and grabbed her hand. He took a deep breath, revising the strategy he just came up with. Just as how Argo examined him, he had examined her. Although his plan could make him look like a complete idiot, it was a risk he was willing to take.

"I couldn't help but notice that by your choice of drink, you have a sweet tooth." He started slowly. Argo raised her eyebrows at him, trying to understand where Kirito was going with this.

Sensing that he had her attention for the moment, he let go of Argo's hand, leaning back into his chair. He gathered his hands together, reciting the next words as he had planned.

"Judging by your equipment, I couldn't help but wonder. Why does she require gold? She's not spending it on the armors or weapons, as you have only the **[Beginner's Set]**. When we entered the restaurant, you immediately ordered the drink without even looking at the menu. I could only conclude that you ordered it sometime before and found it to your liking." He saw a small blush appear on Argo's face.

"S-s-so w-w-what!?" Argo stuttered. Kirito smirked. He was right. Maybe his plan would succeed.

"You spend the Col you earn on eating sweets don't you?" He asked triumphantly. It was Argo's turn to avoid looking at him as she pouted.

"Argo, don't you ever get tired of eating the same old cheap bread for every meal? Don't you want to eat sweet food without using so much Col for one serving?" He pretended to close his eyes, but he opened them slightly, and saw the interested look in Argo's face.

"I present to you Argo! These sacred items!" He said dramatically, pulling out a loaf of bread from his inventory. Argo stared at the bread, eyes reflecting curiosity. Kirito also pulled out the two jars which contained butter and strawberry jam. Argo didn't know that the jars contained them.

She stared at the two jars, expecting them to crack under her glare. Her curiosity reached its peak, and she needed to know what was in them.

Kirito tapped onto the first jar with his finger, and his finger was soon covered into a familiar yellow substance. Argo jumped out of her seat, making the chair fall to the ground as she stared at the substance. No way. It couldn't be.

Kirito continued, humming as he spread some of the butter on the bread. His smile widened as he tapped onto the second jar, jam now covering his finger.

"W-a-h-a-w-w-h-agh?!" Argo was making incoherent noises as she saw Kirito spread the jam around. She could recognize the color anywhere.

"H-how!? HOW?!" She yelled at him.

He smirked as it was his turn to drag out the time. He made sure that the butter and jam were spread evenly before taking a deep bite. He chewed slowly, making sure to let out noises of appreciation. He looked towards Argo, and could see drool coming out the corner of her mouth.

"Well then, do we reach an agreement? Butter and Jam for the **[Blue Stone Ore]**?" He was doing the infamous double fistpump in his mind. Victory was secured.

'Don't worry **[Anneal Blade]** , I'll get you to level 5 tonight.' he thought.

Argo was having a crisis. She wiped the drool and huffed repeatedly. No, she wasn't going to give him information on the mining quest like this. That quest far outweighed the value of his stupid jam! Her quest allowed players to unlock **[[Mining]]** , which could be useful in the future.

She wasn't going to trade that information for… for… for some fucking butter and jam!

 _ **X-Sword Art Online:Realization-X**_

Argo slammed her head down onto the table as silent tears ran down her face.

"Oh, so there existed a mine in the first floor, huh?" Kirito asked as he obtained the quest location from Argo. He smiled as he accepted the trade request from Argo, obtaining the **[Blue Stone Ore]** that was given for completing the mining quest. It was now his turn to uphold his part of the bargain.

"Do you know the small farm near the _**[Field of Beginnings]**_? If you head east from that location, you'll find a hurt NPC which will trigger the quest. Make sure that you're there at morning though, around 6:30 AM. It seems that that's the only time he appears. The quest is clearing a bunch of lower level mobs. Once you complete it, you gain the butter and jam, as well as the option to buy it from him." He repeated his words, making sure that he left nothing out.

He was quite troubled as he stared at the girl who was slamming her head repeatedly on the table. He ignored it, and stood to leave as soon as possible. He left the girl and cafe, heading straight towards the **[[Blacksmith]]**. As usual, the **[[Blacksmith]]** did his routinely tedious process in upgrading the weapon.

 **« Anneal Blade has been successfully upgraded to: Anneal Blade +5! »**

 **« Damage has been increased by 20! »**

 **« Anneal Blade has gained an extra passive effect! »**

 **« Passive Effect: STR raised by 5% »**

Kirito read the text as he processed the information. It seemed that for every 5 upgrades, a small effect was given to the upgraded item. For his **[Anneal Blade]** , it increased his strength by 5%, which meant that his overall strength increased by a little over 1.

He laughed at the miniscule bonus he received. Still, it was one point that he obtained for free. He would take any small advantage he could. Taking his upgraded item, Kirito walked towards the city inn, shoes making contact with the clear cut stone tiles. Tomorrow was the day in which the strategy meeting for the first boss would take place. Before he retired for the night, he would get some last minute grinding in.

 _ **X-Sword Art Online:Realization-X**_

* * *

 **Afternote**

 **That was it for Chapter 2 for the story! Hope you guys enjoyed reading!**


	4. Chapter 3 - First Boss

**Author's Note**

 **Well, I took out the whole beta tester hate portion during the meeting. While I do think it's a very realistic problem that would exist if SAO was real, I didn't want the hate for beta testers to rise in this moment. Although I don't have the complete picture planned out, I do have a plan for the whole beta tester hate.**

 **Third chapter of the story, enjoy!**

 **[Text] - In-game item or monster names**

 **[[Text]] - SAO terms**

 **«Text» - Game menu text or skill names**

 _ **[Text]**_ **\- In-game locations**

 _Text_ **\- Flashback (FOR THIS CHAPTER ONLY)**

* * *

 _ **X-Sword Art Online:Realization-X**_

Kirito stared into the clearing with a blank expression on his face. He was sitting alone in the amphitheater which was located in front of the fountain. The area was large enough to hold hundreds of people. It was made of stone tiles, the same that you would find throughout the city. The seats were made of the same material, but were made with more precise and clear cuts. It surrounded the center, which was made for the main speaker or performer.

He understood why the strategy meeting would take place at such a place. In fact, it was too good of a place to exist in a normal RPG game. No doubt Kayaba created the spot on purpose, knowing that a large area was needed in order for a meeting to take place. That left him wondering, what the hell was the madman doing right now? Was he seriously watching all of them individually? A shiver ran down his spine at the thought.

He shook his head repeatedly in a sideways motion multiple times in order to try and get rid of the idea. He didn't want to even think that someone was watching them at every moment's glance. Instead, Kirito focused on the many people that were waiting for the meeting to start. It wasn't going to hurt in knowing the progress of his comrades in arm.

His eyes scanned every member, taking in the sight of their weapon, accessories and armor. Kirito, having played the beta, knew of the many different equipment that was available in the very first floor of the game. However, unlike Argo, he didn't know the requirements, nor the prices of the items. He was unable to make an educated guess on the levels of those around him.

As he looked at the gear, he grimaced a bit. Although it was only the first floor of the game, many people were opting for the same build. They all consisted of a longsword, or a one handed sword with a shield. Kirito doubted that it would pose a large problem in the first few floors of the game, but he wouldn't be surprised if they encountered a problem in the later floors. Combined with the fact that each and every build was inflexible, it meant that these players would have to invest in their current build, unless they were willing to sacrifice a few of their stat points for the other players.

He sighed again as he thought of his own current build. He wasn't even able to hold a shield. All his stats were focused on offense. He was too afraid to use his stat points on defense, as another good weapon such as his **[Anneal Blade]** might appear. No doubt that weapon would require a ton of offensive points too. His playstyle was risky without a doubt, but he was confident he could dodge or parry the attacks of the monsters. It was just scary that he didn't have the safety of a shield..

Because of the **[Mirror]** that Kayaba gave them, every one of the players had their real appearance. It surprised Kirito that there were many diverse players. The game was only released in Japan so far, and there were people of many different skin colors, although it was noticeable that almost all of the players were male. In fact, Argo was one of the few female players that he even noticed. Even in the beta testing, he rarely saw any other players of the opposite gender.

Kirito glanced at the game clock, as it was approaching the time for the meeting to start. Another uncomfortable feeling hit him as he saw the amount of people gathered. If he were to make a guess, the number would barely reach 50 players. He clicked his tongue. They had to win against the first boss. In fact, he would stay in the first floor for a few days in order to help players announce that the first floor was cleared. They were never going to clear the game with the current amount of players working in the front lines. He prayed that more players were going to join.

His thoughts were invaded by a voice entering his ears. He looked up at the game clock again, noticing that it was time for the meeting to start. His eyes searched for the voice's owner, noticing that it belonged to a male that was standing in the center of the amphitheater. Was that the person who arranged the whole meeting? If so, Kirito wanted to give him credit.

He himself was never the type of personality that lead others. If there was no progress at all, then he would be forced to try and make a meeting, but he wanted to wait until the last moment. Thankfully, it seemed that someone who was used to being a leader appeared. Kirito smiled, thanking the heavens that a natural leader was gathering the players.

Was that natural blue hair? Kirito stared in shock at the man who was standing in the center. Looking through the player's gear, Kirito noticed that the man was better equipped than the others. Kirito had made multiple characters in the beta before to test out builds, and he noticed the shield that was attached to the man's back. It was the **[Augmented Iron Shield]** , which was easily the best shield to obtain on the first floor. The quest was fairly simple. The drawback was that the quest giving NPC was hard to find.

If Kirito wasn't so focused on getting the **[Anneal Blade]** , he would have opted for the shield too. It was just that he preferred the **[Anneal Blade]** so that he would have a solid weapon for the first few floors. That was why he placed so much priority on gaining the weapon. If only he knew that it required so many offensive stats…

"Hello players! My name is Diabel, and my job is a knight!" He casually replied as he tapped his fist into his chest. His words caught the attention of the players gathered in the amphitheater, and laughter rang out at his words. Kirito himself chuckled a bit at the words.

"There's no class system in this game!"

"C'mon, is this meeting a joke too?"

Other playful banters emerged, and Diabel let the laughter continue on for a moment, before a serious expression appeared on his face. The players followed suit, and a silence filled the amphitheater. Kirito gave Diabel a silent whistle of approval. The man had opened up with a joke, allowing the players to send their own jokes and banter to appease the tension. Although he was the leader, he let himself appear approachable, as a friend. But he also drew the line that he was the leader, making the situation serious again.

"My party was able to find the **[[Boss Room]]** three days ago." Cries of approval rang out through the crowd. Kirito gave his own approval, as he couldn't find the location himself. Although to be fair, he focused on getting the **[Anneal Blade]** the whole time. Still, he farmed monsters in a broad range of locations, and he wasn't able to find the **[[Boss Room]]** at all.

"Many people are afraid, unable to even leave a single step outside the _**[City of Beginnings]**_. Because of the creator of this game, Kayaba Akihiko, it became the player's responsibility to defeat this game. Everyone, we will defeat the boss of the first floor and advance, showing everyone that this death game is beatable!" Kirito smiled, clapping his hands slowly. Other players joined, and the amphitheater was filled with the noises of the players clapping. Diabel was thinking of the same idea that he was. The most important resource in the game was the players themselves, and they needed as many players they could get.

"Before we begin the official meeting, I want everyone to gather into a party, possibly into groups of four to six players." A frown showed on Kirito's face, but this was unavoidable. It was the best way to enter a boss fight. Kirito looked around the crowd of players, spotting a group that held five players.

"Mind if I join your group?" He asked hopefully. The players nodded, and Kirito seated himself next to the players. They exchanged small greetings, and Kirito tried his best to memorize the names of each player. The leader of the group sent a party invite, and Kirito was about to accept the request, before his eyes caught a single player that was sitting away from the crowd. It seemed that the player was participating in the boss raid, but he wasn't sure.

"Sorry, but I couldn't help but notice someone didn't have a party at all. I'm going to form a small party with them." The group members stretched their necks to see where he was pointing. They nodded their agreement, and Kirito headed towards the lone player. He sat himself next to the loner and frowned as he noticed that the player was slowly scooting away from him, maintaining a small distance between them.

"Do you not have a party yet?" Kirito sighed as he asked. His face scrunched up in a comic way as the player didn't respond to him. Maybe he should've stayed with his first group. He shook his head at the thought, planting his foot into the ground. He would form a party with this silent player no matter what. He gulped as he saw the appearance of the player. The player's face was completely hidden from view by a red cloak. Was this person a lost cause?

"Yeah…" Kirito blinked. Maybe this player wasn't a lost cause after all! Still, the player spoke so quietly that he thought he imagined the voice. The voice was feminine and soft. He assumed that the player was a female from just the voice, but he didn't want to guess incorrectly. So he stayed silent.

"Do you want to form a party? Diabel did say that we should form a party. Besides, it's the best strategy when fighting a boss. At least, just for this fight." He hesitantly asked. The player tilted their face towards Kirito, and he could only see their nose, mouth, and chin. He really wanted to rip the hood off, to see who was underneath it. He resisted the urge, waiting patiently for the player's answer.

The player nodded slowly, and he let out a sigh of relief. Kirito navigated through the game menu, sending the invite to his new party member. The player accepted the invite that appeared and Kirito's eyes zoomed in on the player's name immediately. Although the username of the player didn't give away any important information about the player themself, it was still something he could work with.

'Asuna?' he thought as he read the name. Each individual hint leaned towards the fact that the player was a female. Still, there were those players that chose their player model to be the opposite gender, even going as far as to choose a feminine name on purpose to fool others. His eyes widened as he read the level of his new party member. It read level 5.

"Well then, I will continue on with the meeting if the parties are formed." Diabel started to speak.

"A few beta testers wrote information on the first boss." He continued as he pulled out a leather book from his inventory.

"If you read it, you'll find out that the boss's name is **[Illfang the Kobold Lord]**. The boss is assisted with weaker enemy mobs called the **[Ruin Kobold Sentinels]**. His primary weapon is a **[Large Bone Axe]** , holding a **[Leather Shield]** as his secondary item. The guide here states that the shield is used more offensively than defensively." Kirito nodded his head as he listened to each description. Everything was correct so far.

"The boss has four health bars, and three more **[Ruin Kobold Sentinels]** spawn every time a single health bar is depleted. When the boss is in the red zone of his last health bar, he discards his axe, opting to equip himself with a **[Talwar]** , a **[[Curved Sword]]** type of weaponry which has different attack patterns than his axe." he finished.

Diabel gave the players a moment to absorb the information, before he explained the battle strategy.

"As it seems that the battle starts with 21 **[Ruin Kobold Sentinels]** , the battle strategy will consist of the following: Each party will be assigned a letter. As we have exactly 51 players here, we will have 7 parties that hold off the sentinels. Each party will be responsible for killing three sentinels each. The remaining members will focus on the boss, taking turns blocking and attacking. Once we get rid of the first health bar, we will rotate the groups, allowing two new groups to focus the boss while the others get to rest. This pattern will continue until the boss is on his last health bar. When it comes to that, we will all focus on the boss. Any questions?" Diabel asked.

Kirito stroked his chin as he went over the strategy in his head. It was no doubt overkill in any other MMORPG to have 50 players fight a single boss. However, being as there lives were being gambled on each fight, Kirito wouldn't have minded having all 20,000 people fighting the first boss. The strategy was safe and made sense. A surplus of people would be killing the weak sentinels, while a small percentage of the players focused on the boss.

With each health bar down, the players that were fighting the boss get rotated out, allowing them to take the time to heal and rest. Two new groups would then fight the boss, the cycle repeating. It was a plan that was well thought out.

"What about the drops? How will they be shared?" A husky voice asked. The players turned their head around, and Kirito gagged on his own breath as he saw the player. Having orange hair was weird enough, but were those seriously spikes on his head? Did Kayaba have bugs on the **[Mirror]** item? Seriously, nobody could have hair that ridiculous.

"Gold from the final boss will be automatically distributed to everyone. Those that obtain items from killing the boss or the sentinels will keep the items to themselves. Exp will also be distributed automatically to everyone. Drops are based on luck anyways, so whoever gets them gets to keep them." Diabel said. The orange haired man frowned, but accepted the answer.

"And finally, we will meet here tomorrow at morning. The reason why I made the meeting 6 PM today, well, it's because of this. Let us all have a feast before we defeat the boss tomorrow!" Diabel yelled. The players all cheered with him, walking towards the center to shake hands with their leader. Kirito was about to follow suit, until he noticed that his party member, Asuna, left without saying a single word.

Kirito scratched his head, contemplating on whether he should join Diabel, or follow Asuna. He sighed, as a difficult decision had to be made. He decided to go to Diable, as it seemed that he would be the leader in most of the raids for the bosses. He would talk to Asuna later.

As he approached the group that was greeting Diabel, Kirito made eye contact with him. Kirito raised his eyebrows in question as Diabel smiled when he met him. The group made their way to a restaurant, as they started the feast. Kirito took a seat, and his eyes widened as he noticed Diabel sit in front of him.

"I was wondering what you doing." He said.

"Huh?" Kirito responded. Diabel smiled.

"I saw you during the beta. Although you never really hung out with the other testers, I noticed that you always left the beta facility with a smile on your face." Kirito nodded in understanding. He had talked to some of the beta testers, but was surprised that someone actually recognized him.

"Well I'm Kirito. It's kind of disheartening, seeing that there's only 51 players that are attempting to clear the first floor." Kirito started, initiating a different conversation. Diabel hummed in agreement.

"Say, Kirito, what level are you right now?" Diabel asked.

"Level 7." He replied. Diabel's eyes widened in shock as he stuttered. Was it that high? He knew he was one of the hardest grinders, but the surprise Diabel showed worried him. Kirito started tapping his fingers with uncertainty.

"Most players are level 3-4. I'm level 5 and I'm one of the highest level people around." Kirito stopped his tapping, staring at Diabel.

"Most people are afraid to venture out. Even for players that are, they stick with slaying the weaker monsters. It's because there were deaths of some people aiming to achieve a high level. Kayaba made it so that weaker monsters yield less Exp, so the rate of leveling up is ridiculously low. Even me, a beta tester, is taking no risks at all. I guess you're different." Kirito stared at the table. Holy shit, Asuna was one of the highest level players then?

Most people were fairly uncomfortable with the full dive technology. They still felt awkward with the system. If it wasn't for the hundreds of hours he played during the beta, Kirito would be in the same position as them.

"Say Diabel, do you know what some of the main stats do? I figured some of them out, but I still don't know what others do, such as **CON** , **RES** , **FOC** , **ATU** , and **LUC**." Diabel opened up his menu, before messaging someone. He waited for a while, before a familiar face appeared and sat with them.

"Argo?" Kirito asked as he saw the familiar brown patch of hair. Said player looked towards Kirito before stuttering a bit. She quickly calmed herself, sitting down next to Diable. She glared at Kirito, who just smiled back towards the girl.

"Well well well, it seems that it is the job of the intelligent to teach those that are ignorant." She started as her glare continued. Diabel raised his eyebrows, confused as to why the player was acting so hostile. Argo took a deep breath, appeasing her nerves before taking on a serious face.

"From what I know, **CON** is constitution. It's a defensive stat, and if you invest points into it, then you gain increased resistance towards magic attacks from the enemies. And although not confirmed, there are rumours that it increases the durations of any buffs that are applied.

 **RES** is resistance. It's another defensive stat that does a couple of things. First, it decreases the chances for debuffs to apply. For example, if there is a enemy that has a poison weapon, your chances of getting poisoned by each attack is decreased. Also, even if you do get the debuff, the damage and duration is decreased.

 **FOC** is focus. It does a single thing, which is to increase the damage that **[[Sword Arts]]** do. It may seem useless, but many people claim that it increases their damage by a huge margin.

 **ATU** , I'm sorry but no one in the game knows what it does yet, it's still a mystery.

Finally, **LUC** is luck. It increases the chances of a rare drop and the success rate of upgrading. Not only that, but it also increases the chance for a player to land a **[[Critical Attack]]**." Argo finished.

Kirito mentally noted the effects of each stat.

"Is there any other you want to know?" Argo asked. Kirito thought for a moment, before asking.

"Can you tell me the exact descriptions of **VIG** and **END** then?" Argo sighed, before answering.

" **VIG** is vigor, which is the main stat that increases health. It also minisculely raises your raw defense, but it's barely noticeable.

 **END** , or endurance, is that stat that raises your defense. It also increase the stat of **[[Poise]]**. Although that's another stat that many people don't really have a clue about." Now Kirito knew exactly what his **[Armlet of the Brave]** did.

"Though I can't help but notice, they are all defensive stats. Hey, don't tell me you didn't invest any points into defense." Argo asked in a skeptical manner. Kirito avoided eye-contact with both Argo and Diabel, as he felt sweat run down his face.

"Ummmmm… No! It's just that I upgraded those stats without paying attention to what they did. That's all! Ahahhahahah…" His voice trailed away as the two players sitting across him gave him disbelieving looks.

 _ **X-Sword Art Online:Realization-X**_

Kirito made his way out of the feast that was going on, locating where his party member Asuna was. He stayed at the feast for a small duration, laughing at the antics of the other players. There were drinking contests and other activities made to ease the tension. He would have loved to stay, but he needed to keep his earlier promise to himself, which was to break his party member out of his or her shell.

Thankfully, the game allowed one to locate their party member's locations. Because of it, Kirito learned that Asuna was currently in a inn. Although he may have been interrupting his party member's sleep, it was still worth trying to talk to his party member. He arrived to the inn, which seemed to be one that was very cheap. The building looked worn out, as the wood used to build the building seemed to be old. As Kirito opened the door, he couldn't help but notice the high pitched creaking noises.

He made his way up the stairs, cringing as every step made the wood creak under his weight. The inside of the inn was no better. The smell was that of mold, and the lights inside the inn were flickering on and off repeatedly. There was a poverty system in SAO, but it was the first time Kirito experienced it first hand, as he always had the money to spend on a lodge that was of good quality.

Passing some old paintings, Kirito arrived at the room which Asuna resided in. He took a deep breath, knocking on the wooden door. He could hear the game notification bell ring inside the room, making his eyes open wide. There was a security system that made it so that outsiders couldn't hear anything inside a inn room. Was the inn so bad that he could hear everything going on inside?

A moment later, the door opened up, and his jaw dropped to the floor as he saw his party member. A small face that reflected surprise stared back at him. Vibrant orange hair entered his eyes, and Kirito's eyes wandered around the face of his party member. He blinked repeatedly, as he stared at the hazel colored eyes and round face. Her skin had a pale complexion. Without a doubt, his party member was a female. No man could look that beautiful and feminine.

He took a deep gulp of his own saliva, before she slammed the door on his face. His face was replaced with confusion, as a moment later, the door opened again. This time, she looked as she had in the amphitheater, red hood covering her face. He sighed, as he remembered that Asuna was someone who was either cautious, or enjoyed isolation.

"H-how did you find this place?" She asked. He stared at Asuna. Did she not know the simple functions of the game?

"Because we are a party, we can locate each other on the map as long as we aren't on separate floors. At least, that's how it was in the beta." As he answered, he noticed that Asuna's face turned towards the minimap, mouth widening in surprise as she saw his icon on her map. Her mouth opened and closed, before speaking.

"Cancel the party."

"What?" Kirito asked in response. Where was this coming from?

"I don't want you to know where I am. Your stalking tendencies are scaring me." His eyebrows twitched in annoyance as he heard Asuna's words.

"Excuse me, but I was only doing the good deed of checking upon my socially inept party member." He replied, voice emphasizing on the socially inept part. His words formed their desired effect, as Asuna twitched in response.

"I'm not socially inept! I just chose to be by myself as everyone already formed their own party!" She yelled at him, making him smirk. It was good to know that she wasn't actually socially inept. If he had to guess, it was that she was just well guarded around people. Well guarded, but easily flustered. Boy, he was going to have fun teasing her.

"Oh really?" He replied in a comic villainous voice. "I guess I assumed incorrectly. But you have to understand, I could only reach that conclusion because someone wouldn't say a single word to their party member, nor could she sense the concern in her party member's action. Heck, she wouldn't even participate in a feast!" Kirito shrugged his shoulders, exaggerating every action he made. He hesitated as he saw Asuna's fists clenched tightly. They were also shaking with anger. Okay, maybe he should stop.

"What. Do. You. Want." Each word was filled with malice, and Kirito gulped nervously.

"Well, I was wondering why you wouldn't participate in the feast with everyone else. It's a good time to try and make connections to these people you know." He was being a little hypocritical, but he had made some connections. Two to be exact. One of them was Argo, which he knew beforehand. Okay, he was being very hypocritical.

"I don't care about any of that. If that's it, then goodbye. Don't forget to cancel the party, we can reform it in the morning anyways." She slammed the door shut for the second time that day, leaving Kirito to stare at the door. This woman!

"And you wonder why I think you're socially inept!" He yelled back at the door.

"Shut up!" He was surprised when she responded. He turned around and left the inn, a smile on his face. His party member wasn't what he thought she would be, although she was quite cautious and rude. Then again, it seemed that every female he talked to hated him so far. He was two for two in that category. It was a statistic that dealt a blow to his ego, but there were far more important things to worry about.

His smirk widened, as he decided not to cancel the party. He would no doubt feel the wrath of Asuna when they meet again tomorrow, but it was a good excuse to get her talking. He breathed in a large volume of air, heading towards his own inn. Tomorrow would be the day that hope gets restored. Tomorrow would be the day where they advance in the game.

 _ **X-Sword Art Online:Realization-X**_

"Ahahahaha…" Kirito laughed nervously as felt the tip of Asuna's sword press against his throat. Luckily, they were in a **[[Safe Zone]]** , so she could deal no damage to him. Still, the feeling of cold metal pressing on his throat didn't feel welcomed at all.

"Why didn't you disband the party last night?" She asked, sword still pressed against his neck.

"Could you put away the sword? You're attracting the attention of many people." He replied calmly, while his hands were raised in surrender. She looked around, noticing the stares of the other players. She coughed lightly, sheathing her sword. He let out a sigh of relief. It was shortly lived, as he swore he felt the glare of his party member, even when she had her hood to cover her eyes.

It was morning, and the group was meeting in order to head towards the [ **[Boss Room]]**. Surely enough, Kirito was correct in that his action would stir the wrath of Asuna. She seemed to be readying another barrage of threats, but couldn't as Diabel's voice rang out.

"Alright, all the members are gathered. Let's head out! Make sure that you follow my lead!" Kirito silently thanked Diabel's timing, and moved forward with the group. He noticed that Asuna moved closer towards him as the group of 51 players all started to huddle and move. He gasped dramatically in hope as he saw the action.

"W-what?" Asuna said as she heard his gasp. Kirito didn't respond to her question. It seemed that she at least trusted him the most out of the 51 players. That was a good sign, right?

Instead, he stretched as he continued to follow the group. He had fixed his schedule specifically for this day. Just for today, he had allowed himself to sleep in, which abled him to sleep for almost over 11 hours. His body felt slightly tense at the aspect of fighting the boss. He had double checked his inventory, making sure that he had stockpiled enough **[Health Potions]**.

"Ms. Socially inept?" He called out to his party member. The response was immediate, Asuna growling as she faced him. He raised his hands as an offer of peace, before he continued.

"I wanted to discuss my plan with you yesterday, but I'll say it now as it isn't much. Because we're in charge of the stray sentinels, being a party of only two people, we most likely won't have to face many of them. We probably won't have any problems fighting them individually, but we have to have a plan just in case. If we face against multiple sentinels, or if a single sentinel is stronger than we thought, then we switch from individual action to **[[Switch]]** , alright?" He asked.

"?" The small tilt of the head shocked Kirito. No way… Did she not know what **[[Switch]]** was? Well, he should have expected it as she was someone who kept to herself.

"Listen closely, as we don't have that much time." He started. " **[[Switch]]** is the most basic but efficient way to fight monsters. It starts with one player attacking. When the player is able to land multiple successful attacks on the enemy, or **[[Parry]]** the enemy monster's attack, the opportunity to **[[Switch]]** appears. Because a player is usually stuck in downtime and unable to attack after a **[[Parry]]** or a barrage of attacks, the party member comes in right away, allowing the party to take advantage of the monster that is stunned from the multiple combo attacks or from the **[[Parry]]**." He concluded.

She nodded slowly. Whether she truly understood or not, he didn't have a clue. Still, she nodded confidently, so he believed that she understood his explanation perfectly. It seemed that he was able to explain just in time as the group came to a stop as they arrived in a hidden area of the forest.

"Oh." Kirito said as they stopped in front of a large door. He had been in the area multiple times, but did not notice the hidden passageway that lead to the **[[Boss Room]]**. It seemed that he needed to focus on his environment more when he traveled around Aincrad. It would help locate the possible location of the **[[Boss Room]]**.

"Everyone, are you all ready!?" Diabel called out. He nodded in satisfaction as he heard the group yell out their answer. The group yelped in surprise as Diabel pushed the door open. It caused the ground to shake, causing some groups to fall to the ground as they lost balance.

Kirito himself held a tree trunk that was next to him, keeping his balance. He felt a tug near his elbow, causing him to look at his arm. A small hand was grabbing onto the cloth of his clothes. He noticed that it was Asuna. He smirked in response, which caused the girl to punch his arm slightly as she saw the smug look on his face.

All traces of humor vanished as the shaking stopped.

They all walked into the room, gripping their weapons tightly. The strategy commenced immediately as the different parties were spreading out. **[Illfang the Kobold Lord]** was visible in the center, but because not everybody entered the **[[Boss Room]]** yet, he stayed in his idle state. That changed, however, as the final member entered the room.

The doors shut close, and the room lit up with light, allowing Kirito to examine his surrounding.

The design of the room was almost the same as the beta, with small pillars lining up the side. The room was filled with weird lights, which seemed as if they were moving. They were shining with different colors. The **[[Boss Room]]** was large, allowing the players to spread out. Considering the boss's attack patterns, it was good for them that the room was large. The health bars lit up, showing the four bars. Bright lights emerged from the ground, showing the **[Ruin Kobold Sentinels]**.

"Groups A and B, initiate attacks against the boss! C-I, make sure you draw the aggro of all the Sentinels! Group J, make sure you get rid of the stray sentinels and help any groups that need assistance!" Diabel yelled. Everyone followed suit as the battle formation was taking place.

The groups drew the attention of the 21 Sentinels, allowing Groups A and B free passage to attack the boss. Kirito and Asuna took their own formation, scanning the area for any stray Sentinels. Kirito grimaced as he saw some stray Sentinels spawn. Of course it was going to differ from the beta.

"Let's go!" He called out, pointing towards the direction of the stray Sentinel. Asuna nodded, heading towards the enemy. As it was a single enemy, Kirito would be able to handle the enemy easily. Still, it was a grace period to try and attempt the switch. He already knew where the **[[Critical Spot]]** was, as he slayed many of them in the beta, as well as in the quest to get his **[Anneal Blade]**. He twisted his sword to the side, stabbing the sword straight through the small gap that existed between the Sentinel's head armor.

The Sentinel let out a strangled noise, one which Kirito had recognized.

" **[[Switch]]**!" He yelled out. He gasped in surprise as he felt Asuna rush by him. From the speed alone, he could tell that she had put an abundance of points into **AGI**. It was impossible to move that fast during combat otherwise. He focused his sight onto her choice of weapon, which he noticed was a rapier. Although he didn't know the stat requirements of a rapier, he understood that it would require agility.

Her sword flashed, seeming to be activating a skill. She thrusted her rapier, a torrent of consecutive straight thrusts appearing. They hit the unarmored body of the Sentinel, causing it to be stunlocked. She then continued with basic attacks, slashing in multiple directions. The Sentinel was easily defeated, exploding into particles. Considering that his **[Anneal Blade]** was at +5, combined with the fact that Asuna was level 5, it was no surprise that they were able to defeat the sentinel with ease.

He snapped his eyes back towards the battlefield, searching for more enemies. There was no time for rest, as lives depended on the fight. The groups were all doing their respective jobs, and Kirito smiled as he saw the first health bar of the boss deplete. 12 players were attacking the boss, so it was no surprise that the damage output was high.

"Groups A and B, switch out and use potions if you have to! Groups C and D, come charge into the boss! Other groups, continue your actions!" The groups complied with the order, moving in a systematic way. It was amazing. They didn't have any practice beforehand, but they all worked together in a smooth way. It seemed that a common goal was allowing teamwork to form.

More Sentinels spawned, and Kirito resumed practicing **[[Switch]]** with Asuna. He wanted her to get used to the tactic. The battle continued in a steady manner, the strategy working perfectly. Morale was high, and people were already letting out premature celebrations.

The last health bar was left, and everyone fell back as **[Illfang the Kobold Lord]** let out a roar that signified the last stage of the fight. The boss threw away both of it's weapons, the **[Large Bone Axe]** and **[Leather Shield]** , about to pull out a weapon.

Kirito was fighting a Sentinel at the moment, eyeing the boss with the corner of his eyes. They widened as he saw Diabel run towards the boss. The leader was abandoning the plan? He searched his brain for a reason, before understanding.

"For the stupid last hit bonus?" He yelled out. No doubt the slayer of the boss would get a rare drop, the worst possible drop being probably a green uncommon. Because no item in the first floor was even green, he could understand why someone would break formation to get the bonus in any other MMORPG. But lives depended on this for fuck's sake! This wasn't a casual RPG!

The boss surprised both Kirito and Diabel as the boss attacked immediately after pulling out it's new weapon. Diabel was pushed back, **[[Staggered]]** from the blow. **[Illfang the Kobold Lord]** jumped from the pillars, gaining high elevation in the air. It aimed it's sword upwards, allowing Kirito to get a good look at it.

"It's a **[Nōdachi]**? Asuna! Take care of this one!" He screamed as he kicked the Sentinel away. He rushed towards Diabel who was **[[Staggered]]**. The boss was falling towards Diabel, about to make its attack.

"Make it in time!" Kirito roared as he activated **«Explosive Charge»**. He never used the attack skywards before, but he needed to use it to intercept the attack. Kirito felt the momentum pile up while the system registered the motion, and he soon felt his body airborne as he was propelled towards the boss at maximum speed.

His desperate voice echoed throughout the room as it was soon replaced by the sounds of two blades colliding. Kirito's body was slammed straight towards the ground as the force from the blow caused his body whiplash. He made hard contact with the floor, the wind being knocked out of him as he tried to stand up. Other party members dragged him and Diabel back.

"Thanks.." Diabel said as he looked away, regret reflecting on his eyes.

"Are you crazy! You're the one who took the responsibility of leading this group! Do you plan on abandoning all of them?" Kirito yelled as he grabbed the collar of Diabel's shirt. It was obvious that Diabel already knew the fact. Kirito grit his teeth, pulling out a potion, healing his health. Diabel proceeded to do the same.

Kirito stood up, heading towards the back of the room where the boss couldn't reach. He sat down, breathing heavily. They had almost lost their boss raiding leader. He tried to calm his beating heart, as he glanced at the battlefield. It wasn't looking good. The boss's attack patterns were completely different with the **[Nōdachi]**. People were being blown back by the attacks, and even Diabel seemed lost as to what he should.

Kirito swore under his breath. Of course Kayaba would make the boss much more difficult. He even gave the boss **[[Hyper-Aggression]]** , a status effect that could only be found in the higher levels of the beta. The effect made the monster attack relentlessly, almost disregarding all forms of defense. It was understandable why the beginners were having such a hard time adapting to the sudden change. It was difficult for even the best beta players to defend against monsters with the effect.

"So tell me, why did you charge in by yourself suddenly?" Kirito asked as Diabel sat himself down next to him. He already suspected an answer, but he wanted to hear Diabel's own words.

"You already know don't you? We're stuck in this game. The better items a player obtains, the better chance of survival a player has. I wanted the bonus so I could increase my chance of survival." Diabel said as he sighed.

"Well, you almost got killed because of that thought. Like I said, you're the one who gathered this group. You have the responsibility to lead it now." Kirito grunted as he stood up. He didn't have to say anymore. It was obvious that Diabel knew of his stupid mistake.

Having his health replenish through his item, Kirito walked towards the boss with the **[Anneal Blade]** in hand. His slow walk transitioned into a faster pace with each step, sprinting at the end. He clenched his teeth tight, landing a blow on the boss as its attention was focused elsewhere.

The boss, registering the abnormally high damage, turned around, identifying Kirito as the main threat. The large body shifted to face him. The **[Nōdachi]** swung down towards him, and Kirito rolled horizontally to dodge the attack. The **[[Hyper-Aggression]]** kicked in for the boss, attacking Kirito again and again.

The other members were yelling cries of surprise at Kirito, but he couldn't hear them over the sound of his beating heart. Adrenaline was flooding his body, blood rushing to every part. He was dodging every attack by a small margin. A single blow would lead to a chain of another, which would likely lead to his death. There was a temporary chance, however.

Monsters with **[[Hyper-Aggression]]** had a small window of vulnerability after their attack has finished. Albeit the timing being ridiculously short, it would be enough to finish the boss, considering the low amount of health it had.

One, two, three, four, the number of attacks kept coming, and Kirito was concentrating to find the small window. The boss attacked two more times, which it then reared its sword back in a large motion. This was it! If he missed this chance, he would have to attempt to dodge the onslaught of attacks again. He charged forward, activating a skill. His blade shined a bright blue, and Kirito bolted forward, arm flowing in the familiar attacking motion.

He felt the blade cut through the boss, as he swung, and the boss dispersed into particles a second later. Kirito sheathed his sword, exhaling repeatedly as he was trying to steady his rapid breath. A smile appeared. They had defeated the first boss. It signified so much, the hope of the trapped players, the progression of the death game, and the fact that the game could be beaten. He couldn't wait to see the surprised expressions of those in the _**[City of Beginnings]**_.

 **« Congratulations, Illfang the Kobold Lord has been slain! »**

He yelped in surprise as he felt his body get lifted, being thrown in the air multiple times as the party celebrated the victory. Kirito laughed, allowing himself to enjoy the moment. A game notification appeared in front of him, showing the drops that he got. He exited the window, not giving a damn about what he got. How could he, when something so much more important just got achieved?

 _ **X-Sword Art Online:Realization-X**_

Asuna stared at the man who was getting thrown into the air by the other players. Under the hood, her eyebrows were furrowed deeply, and her eyes were reflecting anger. She felt her own heart jump with tension when everyone cheered prematurely, thinking that the boss was going to die easily.

 _She was frozen in fear as she saw the leader almost get killed. She was broken out of her stupor by her party member's yell. The Sentinel was kicked towards her, and she could only watch with despair as her party member charged straight towards the boss. Somehow, he had saved Diabel._

 _Small hope resurfaced her heart again, but it was quickly dispersed as she stared at the boss. Everyone was crying in fear, and the group was falling apart due to chaos. The boss was slashing his weapon relentlessly, causing injuries to players._

 _Her legs were shaking in fear as she stared into the red eyes of the boss. Her grip on the rapier was loosening, and she crumbled to the floor as the boss made its way towards her direction. She closed her eyes and blocked her ears with her hands, waiting for her life to end right there._

 _One, two, three. Asuna counted the seconds in her head, daring to look up when her count reached well over a minute. Hazel eyes widened as they saw a single player fight the boss. It was her party member. While everyone else, including her, was cowering in fear, he was standing defiantly until the end._

 _She started to breath heavily as the boss attacked mercilessly towards the lone player. Smoke was rising everywhere from the impact of the boss's attacks, and she couldn't see her party member anymore._

 _When the smoke cleared, she let out a small cry as only one human figure was standing. He had managed to singlehandedly defeat the boss. Her nails dug into her palms as she looked towards the ground._

 _Didn't she promise to herself that she would go down while fighting? That she would fight no matter what to justify her own existence? Instead, she cowered in fear, breaking her own promise. Her party member was what she wanted to be. Someone who fought until the end._

She glared at the player who defeated the boss. He was currently being thrown into the air as celebration. Asuna gritted her teeth as she turned around to leave.

 _ **X-Sword Art Online:Realization-X**_

* * *

 **Afternote**

 **This was chapter 3! I hope you readers enjoyed it!**


	5. Chapter 4 - Second Floor

**Author's Note**

 **So I've decided that the update schedule would be once a week for the current moment. Don't really have much to say, so I'll just reply to some reviews. Thank you for leaving reviews by the way!**

 **RStyle: I'm glad you noticed that the quest had some meaning! Of course, not every quest I write about will be wrapped up with significant meaning, but I hope that I can make each one have significance in some form or shape. Thank you for supporting the story!**

 **Axelle Meraki: Why did I keep Diabel alive? This chapter answers that question! I wanted to give a different take to Diabel after reading the Progressive manga. While Diabel won't become a main-main character, he'll be pretty important.**

 **EzioIsPIRATE: Thank you for reading and I'm glad the chapter lived up to your expectations!**

 **GirugameshPanda: Thank you for the support! I'm glad you noticed that the Night Giant was based off of FFXV!**

 **[Text] - In-game item or monster names**

 **[[Text]] - SAO terms**

 **«Text» - Game menu text or skill names**

 _ **[Text]**_ **\- In-game locations**

* * *

 _ **X-Sword Art Online:Realization-X**_

"The first boss has been cleared without casualties! The game can actually be beaten!" The heads of all the players that resided in the _**[City of Beginnings]**_ turned. Their eyes widened at the news, staring at the young adult with black hair that was spreading it. The city erupted with noise, spreading the news at a rapid rate. The players laughed, some of them hugging the closest stranger they could without even realizing their actions.

"No casualties! Does that mean we could try and help them too?"

"What were we doing, wasting our time here while the others risked their lives? Hurry let's head out too!"

Kirito smiled as the mood significantly rose from his words. He looked with hope as new players started to head out to try and attempt to become stronger themselves. He knew the people would be cautious, spending most of their time hunting lower level monsters to ensure safety. Still, it was a major step that they were taking, compared to that of sitting in the city.

He looked at the time, noticing that it was lunch time. The clearing group had decided to hold another feast to celebrate their success, opting to stay on the first floor for another day. They were all going to head to the second floor tomorrow. Beta testers had made it into the 6th floor, so it was still somewhat familiar grounds. At least, they hoped that the first floors would be familiar.

Arriving to the amphitheater, Kirito headed straight towards the leader of their group, Diabel. He searched around the area, hoping to spot a specific socially inept person, but failed to find her. And she wondered why he called her socially inept? He dismissed the thought, sitting in front of Diabel, who was busy drinking rounds with other group members.

He was forced to join, as two mugs were placed upon him. He wanted to talk about some personal business with Diabel regarding about the new players that were venturing out, but it would have to wait. With a excited roar, he one shot the mug, causing the crowd to yell at his action. Diabel noticed Kirito, playfully glaring at him, before challenging him to a drinking contest.

About two hours had passed after the drinking contest, and the two of them were sitting lethargically at their respective seats. Alcohol in the game was similar to the taste of that in real life, although one couldn't really get drunk in the game. Still, the foul taste lingered in both of Kirito's and Diabel's mouth. The worst part was the feeling of a stomach that was filled liquid.

"Diabel… I… Have something to talk to you about…" Kirito started, each word straining out of him. Although Diabel had made a fatal mistake during the boss fight, Kirito still respected the player. He was someone who gathered players and led them in the fight. If Kirito needed someone to talk to about his current problem, it would be Diabel.

"Hmmm?" Diabel responded, one eye cracking open. Kirito tried to sit up straight, slapping himself to try and wake up. Diabel noticed the serious look on his face, and attempted to do the same.

"It's about the new players. It's glaringly obvious that we are going to need more players that help out in the front lines. There's a problem. I'm sure you noticed, but most of the weapons and armors in the game require the players to invest almost all their points into the respective category." Diabel nodded.

"I glanced at most of the gear that the players equipped. There's almost no diversity. It's all people who use two-handed swords, or a sword and a shield. Sure, there's people who use maybe a rapier and a shield, but in the end, all of them are similar." Diabel frowned in thought, trying to remember the equipment the players had.

"I'm quite positive that this won't hold much a problem now, but…" Kirito trailed off.

"In later floors, it will pose a problem." Diabel finished. Kirito nodded in confirmation.

"Kayaba created the game so that a build path would have glaring other weaknesses. My build, focused more on the offensive stats, forced me to allocate all my stats into offense, leaving me with almost no defense. I looked at some of the weaker armors they sell in the bazaar, and it seems that people who dedicate their stats to the strong armors have good defense, but no damage output." Kirito explained.

"No doubt that other builds exist too, considering the beta had a wide variety of weapons. The problem is that we lack the information about the other classes, what the pros and cons of them are. Beta testers like us, as well as the few brave souls that entered the **[[Boss Room]]** with us, all have similar builds. Truthfully speaking, we don't want the new players to end up with builds similar to ours." Diabel's mouth widened in surprise, understanding where Kirito was heading.

"A greater diversity of builds would lead to a better chance of success at clearing the game." Diabel muttered. Kirito smiled as he heard Diabel's conclusion. He was glad that Diabel was the leader. He had the charisma, as well as a quick brain that allowed him to make logical conclusions.

"Right. We're honestly in a pretty difficult position. I can think of possible solutions to most of our problems, but in order for them to work, we need information. Unfortunately, that's the biggest missing factor." A hum was escaping from Diabel's mouth.

"Well, let's try working backwards first then. What solutions have you thought of so far?" Diabel asked, extending his hand. It was a gesture for Kirito to continue speaking.

"Well, my first solution revolves around those that want to actively help clear the game. Remember what you said at the beginning of the strategy meeting? Where you joked about your job being a knight?" Kirito could see Diabel nodding.

"That's my solution. Because 'Jobs', or 'Classes' aren't official terms that are registered in the system due to not having a class system, players dismiss the terms. We could create our own system. It would be a system in which we discuss and agree the names of the classes while understanding which skills and stats the class needs.

As an example, let's say we have a 'Sentinel' class, or a 'Tank' class. Those classes would have a build that allocates their stat points towards **END** , **RES** , **VIG** , and **CON**. That way, new players would already know exactly where they need to allocate their points to. Because the armors in this game require usually three out of the four stats, the players would be able to equip the best equipment of their class even in later floors." Kirito explained.

"We could specify the classes by the specific stats they need. I understand why the lack of information is a problem. Although the stat allocation for these 'Tanks' are simple, the classes that have a different choice of weapon would be hard to classify without knowing exactly what weapon they choose to use. In the first floor, we only have the most basic, such as the longsword, rapier, or dagger. Considering that axes, maces, katanas, and other weapons exist, we wouldn't know exactly what stats they need." Diabel replied.

"Exactly. And that's only considering possible weapons. We still don't even know what some stats do. Sure, we could make a present list of classes with the information that we possess, but what could we tell the new players that want to try and help clear the game? 'Oh sorry. Because we want more diverse classes, can you guys wait until we discover new possible classes?' There may be some people who agree, but many of them would decline." Kirito expanded upon the possible problems. Frustration filled the faces of the two players as they tried to think of a solution.

"The most logical choice would be to either proceed with the plan once we have a significant amount of information, or just proceed to create the classes now, adding onto the list as time passes. Both choices will create the same short term result, which would be that we have no diversity in classes. Still, I think we should create the class system now. That way, we'll have some diversity, which includes tanks and those that mainly deal damage." Diabel held his head as he spoke. It was hard to make a decision, as lives depended on it. Still, having a small system like this was better than all the players having the same build.

Kirito thought about players that had a different weapon choice. In his mind, only Asuna and Argo came into mind. Asuna was one who used a rapier, and Argo was holding a small knife, or a dagger. He nodded his head as Kirito spoke again.

"Which brings us to our second problem." Diabel stared at Kirito, a strained look on his face. The first problem already caused him to think so much. He let out a sigh as he listened. If they wanted to escape this death game, a few brain cells could be sacrificed for it.

"Community. We have 20,000 damned people stuck in this game, yet only 51 participated in the first boss battle. Sure, not all 20,000 are going to help, but only 51? That's a ridiculously low amount. Hell, even I wouldn't have participated if I didn't go to the tavern that one night. We have no useful way of communicating at all." This was a problem that Diabel noticed instantly once he saw the amount of people help with the boss fight.

"The solution I came up with requires a **[[Guild]]**. We can have every single player join, allowing us to message one another, or have a chat room that announces only news. Sadly, this is a real unrealistic solution, as I doubt everyone would even want to join the same **[[Guild]]**." The two let out a sigh, before Diabel spoke.

"Well, I think for now, the two of us could have a weekly meeting once we come up with ideas or solutions. Although I say the two of us, we could always add more members that are willing to sacrifice their brain cells. Though, it would be best to add people who know about MMORPGs." Diabel concluded. Kirito nodded in approval. There was no way the two of them could create a perfect system. They would need as much help as they needed.

"Say," Diabel started. "Instead of heading to the second floor like some players are, want to stay behind and try to identify some of the possible classes? I'd prefer to start listing the possible classes as soon as possible. Let's meet again tomorrow." He said.

"Let's do that." Kirito responded. The two of them stood up, shaking their hands in approval. Diabel navigated through his menu for a moment, before a friend request showed up in front of Kirito. He happily accepted. The two splitted after.

It was barely 3 PM, and Kirito didn't want to spend his time racking his brain for ideas or spend it on sleeping. An idea popped in front of his head as he remembered the information he obtained from Argo. He already obtained the **[Blue Stone Ore]** for her, but it didn't help to see what else the quest gave. He marked the map, leaving the city right after.

 _ **X-Sword Art Online:Realization-X**_

He arrived to a small house that was standing alone in the middle of the hills. The house was made up of wooden logs, and Kirito could see the storage boxes behind, which held all different sorts of ores. He smiled, entering the house. Upon entering, he noticed that the house was occupied by a single NPC. The NPC was a grandpa. Kirito noticed that the NPC was rotating his arm, making it seem as if the NPC was stretching.

"Old man is there a problem?" Kirito asked, initiating the quest dialogue.

"Old age is getting to me. My body feels too tired now. Mining is getting difficult, but it's my only source of income. I need to fill the monthly quota, but it seems that I won't be able to mine today with my battered arm." The NPC replied. A message appeared as the NPC finished.

 **« Stone Extraction: Will you accept this quest? »**

 **« Yes/No »**

As soon as Kirito accepted, the NPC smiled, before walking in a specific direction. Kirito followed, and the two walked until they reached a small cave that was located near the hills. They entered, continuing to walk until they reached an area which contained a pickaxe and a cart. Kirito couldn't help but marvel at the detail. The rocks were course, with the small lamp light reflecting on each stone. He snapped out of his stupor, listening to what the NPC was going to say next.

The NPC picked up a pickaxe, handing it to Kirito.

 **« You have obtained the pickaxe! »**

Kirito closed the menu, instead choosing to focus on the NPC. The NPC pulled out his own pickaxe and started to swing at the nearest ore that Kirito couldn't identify.

"You need to aim carefully where you swing. If you hit somewhere you shouldn't your pickaxe will break. You can find better pickaxes in the shops, but as long as you have the experience like me, you'll be able to mine them perfectly fine. Here, try it out on some of the weaker stones." The NPC motioned his hand to a side of a cave.

Kirito picked up the pickaxe and was about to swing before he noticed something. As he lifted the pickaxe, Kirito could see small portions of the stone in front of him glow in a white light. Instinctively, Kirito swung the pickaxe towards the glowing portion, assuming that those were the parts he needed to swing at.

His logic was proven to be correct, as the rock broke off from the wall.

 **« You have mined and obtained: »**

 **« 1x Soft Rock »**

"Good! Please, keep doing that until we have enough." The NPC called. Kirito looked around, noticing the empty minecart. If his assumption was correct, the mission would end once the minecart was filled. Kirito searched for a patch of rocks that were similar to the one the NPC led him to. As he found such locations, he repeated the process of mining the **[Soft Rocks]**. Soon, the minecart was filled, and the NPC thanked Kirito.

 **« You have acquired the following for completing the following quest: Stone Extraction »**

 **« 50 Col »**

 **« 20 Exp »**

 **« 1x Bronze Pickaxe »**

 **« 1x Blue Stone Ore »**

 **« You have unlocked a new Lifestyle! »**

 **« Lifestyle: Mining »**

 **« Congratulations, your Mining is now Level 2! »**

 **«You have learned: Stone Mining! »**

Although he appreciated the fact that he obtained a new **[[Lifestyle]]** , he had no intention of spending points on them unless they proved to be useful. Kirito assumed that he was able to reach level 2 in **[[Mining]]** due to the fact that he mined a lot in the quest. He smiled as he had a **[Blue Stone Ore]**. Maybe he would be able to bargain with someone who didn't know how to unlock the quest.

Kirito arrived back to the city, night time approaching. As he walked past many other players, he smiled as they were still celebrating the clearing of the first floor. That reminded him of the drops that he got from the fight. He quickly entered a inn, renting a room for the night. Once he got inside, he looked through his game logs. Fortunately, the game saved every game message log that it made. Because of the system, Kirito was able to find what he had gained.

 **« 6x Ruin Kobold Sentinel Drops: »**

 **« 240 Col »**

 **« 180 Exp »**

As he scanned the logs, he had slain five of the Sentinels. He looked through the most important game log, the one that showed his reward for killing the boss.

 **« Illfang the Kobold Lord Drops: »**

 **« 680 Col »**

 **« 790 Exp »**

 **« Last Hit Bonus! »**

 **« 1x Coat of Midnight »**

 **« Congratulations, you are now Level 8! »**

Kirito smiled expectantly as he stared at the drop. It was a green item, meaning that it was only uncommon. Still, he welcomed any item that wasn't a common. Maybe he would try to farm the boss later, to see if it dropped anything better. He opened up the description for the item, hoping that he would be able to use it.

 **« Coat of Midnight »**

 **« A dark coat that is unusually light. It blends naturally with the night »**

 **« Required Stats to Equip »**

 **« Level Requirement: Level 7 »**

 **« CON: 8 »**

 **« RES: 6 »**

 **« All other stats: 3 »**

 **« This item has no scaling »**

 **« ATU Slots: 0 »**

 **« Required material to Upgrade to Coat of Midnight +1 »**

 **« 8x Night Wolf Bones »**

 **« Weight: 4.2 »**

 **« Magic Resist: 7 »**

 **« Resistance to Blind: 15% »**

 **« -10% Blind Duration »**

Kirito hummed as he analyzed the item. Unfortunately, it didn't hold any special effects despite the name. He wished that he would gain bonuses at night time or something. Still, the item was much better than he expected. Maybe it was because the item was a coat, not an armor, that it required little defensive stats. It gave a significant boost to his weak magic resist, and it didn't require him to remove his base armor. The small benefit of **[[Blind]]** resistance was nice too.

He allocated some of the unused stat points he had, using 5 points on **CON** , 3 points on **RES** , and 2 points in both **ATU** and **LUC**. He now had 17 stat points left. He proceeded to equip the coat after, nodding his head in approval as it wrapped comfortably around his body. He lied down on the bed, letting sleep take over his body. Another long discussion was going to take place with Diabel tomorrow, and he was going to need his brain at prime form.

 _ **X-Sword Art Online:Realization-X**_

"Kirito!" A familiar voice rang out. Kirito identified Diabel sitting in the amphitheater. As he moved closer, he realized that there were two other people. One was Argo, and the other was the player that had the ridiculous hairstyle. It was the person who had orange hair, with spikes appearing off some sections.

Kirito yawned as he approached. Diabel wanted to meet early in the morning. Kirito had made his schedule more flexible the past few days, allowing him to sleep in. He was going to go back to the original schedule once he started adventuring the second floor. As he sat down next to them, he saw that all of them were looking at his coat. They quickly understood that it came from the boss. Kirito on the other hand stared at the message that Diabel sent to him. As he briefly read over the words, Kirito realized that it was a small list of possible classes.

So far, the classes weren't named, only being labeled with the favorable equipment the class used. For the class focused on **STR** , it was labeled as [Straight Swords]. For the class that used mostly **END** and **VIG** , it was labeled as [Shields, Armors]. The list continued on listing some of the discoveries that they had made.

"We discovered that new players begin with 44 stat points that are randomly allocated automatically. Looking through a small sample size, I'm confident to say that most players get their points assigned to **STR** and **DEX**. A common fact is that only 1 point is invested into **ATU** no matter what." Argo spoke out. Kirito raised an eyebrow as he nodded his head.

"So far, the main builds that we could compile are strength and focus builds, defensive health builds, and a dexterity luck build." Diabel continued. Kirito scratched his head as he listened.

"I'm not sure how common it is, but my build requires strength, dexterity, and some agility." Kirito told the group. Diabel and Argo narrowed their eyes at Kirito, as he just confirmed their suspicion that he had no points invested into the defensive stats.

"There's also the rapier build. Does anyone here know someone who uses one?" He quickly said, trying to divert the attention. Diabel dropped his glare, before placing a hand on his chin as he thought.

"I've rarely seen someone use a rapier. Even if I did see someone, I don't know where they are right now." A husky voice echoed. Kirito stared at the owner of the voice, which was the orange haired player. The player noticed his questioning stare, and huffed.

"I'm Kibaou." He announced.

"Kirito." He answered back, sharing his name.

"I know of a player who uses a rapier, but I'm not sure if the person is willing to come here." Kirito laughed hesitantly. He opened up the game menu, searching for the name Asuna. It came into view, and he sent a message, asking her to come to the amphitheater if she could. A second later a reply came, shocking him.

« Why? »

Kirito sighed as he saw the singular word. It was so like her to send that text. He answered back, explaining that they were trying to develop a system to create diversity. Kirito had told Asuna that they didn't know what stats the rapier required, so that her stats would help in their discovery. Another moment passed, as Diabel looked at him hopefully. Her message arrived, and Kirito rushed to open it.

« Most on **AGI** , some on **DEX**.»

He showed the message to Diabel, who proceeded to write it down on his notes. The group then proceeded to make the stat distribution more detailed, splitting them into percentages, so that people could understand what stat was needed immediately.

"It's unfortunate, but this is all we can do for right now. There's no good way to spread the news either. The most we can do right now is to put it on the city bulletin board, and ask people to spread the word. Well, I'll go ahead and do that. Thanks for coming today!" Diabel yelled as he walked away towards the bulletin board. Kibaou left after, leaving Argo to be the only acquaintance.

"I've got to say, I thought you'd try to get as much Col as you can from Diabel. In fact, didn't you give me too much information since the day of the first feast?" Kirito asked teasingly. Argo narrowed her eyes at him.

"I'm not charging money this time because you guys are doing something that will help clear the game. It's ONLY this time though. Any information you want after this point, you better prepare some Col." She uttered. Kirito gave a deadpan laugh as he stood up.

He was finished with his duty, and he had planned to head to the second floor today if he could. He waved goodbye to Argo, who ignored his action. He pouted in a joking manner, which the girl also ignored. He stuck his tongue out at the girl which finally emitted an angry response. He ran away from her after, heading towards the **[[Boss Room]]** to move up to the second floor.

Unfortunately for Kirito, it seemed that the first boss did not respawn after being slain. That meant that he could no longer try and farm the boss for the rarest possible gear. He sighed before climbing up the spiral ladders that lead to an already open door. It seemed that some people already headed towards the second floor.

Kirito reached out towards the door, his right foot passing through the door as he made his way to the next floor. He shut his eyes as a white flash of light appeared in his vision. He waited a while, cracking his eyes open slightly. He looked around the area and smiled as the landscape was the same as it was in the beta test. It was obvious that some things were going to be different, as demonstrated on the first floor, but it was still calming to know that the floor was something he recognized.

The second floor of Aincrad had the biome of a savannah. Unlike the first floor, which featured green grassy hills and woods, the second floor consisted of mostly flat, even ground. The temperature was warm, with the vegetation of the place housing multiple plants that were a different shade of yellow and orange. Few trees were standing proudly, towering over the plains. They provided cover for the strong sunlight that blazed over the lands.

Kirito stepped forward as he adjusted to the light. If the floor stayed true to the beta, then the main town of _**[Urbus]**_ would be located near the northern side of the map, meaning that a small trek was necessary. Most likely, the option of teleporting was available. All cities held a main teleportation gate, linking between the main cities that existed on each floor. Kirito didn't take the teleportation, as he wanted to explore the map.

He made his way across the savannah, opening his map. There was a small city that would be nearby. _**[Marome]**_ was a small village that held very few NPCs. It was worth checking out, as the village was on the pathway to _**[Urbus]**_. As he scouted the area, he noticed that most of the monsters were similar. They were all different variations of buffaloes and oxen.

As he saw the village of _**[Marome]**_ enter his sights, Kirito noticed that a small event was going on. It was most likely a quest, as there was a knight NPC fighting against a **[Wild Buffalo]**. If a player looked carefully, they would be able to notice that the NPC's health stayed the same regardless of getting hit. This was the giveaway that allowed Kirito to deduce that it was a quest. Still, it was an opportunity to gain more Col and Exp.

When Kirito entered the sights of the buffalo, it changed targets, focusing on the player. Kirito pulled out his **[Anneal Blade]** , dodging the initial charge of the monster. He smiled, as it seemed that his level was high enough to fight the monsters without any major problems. Quick work was made of the buffalo, and the NPC walked up to Kirito.

 **« You have acquired the following for completing the Unofficial Quest: »**

 **« Attack of the Stray Buffalo »**

 **« 410 Col »**

 **« 125 Exp »**

Kirito noticed that even for a simple quest, the rewards rose significantly. He made a mental note of the fact. It seemed that **[[Unofficial Quests]]** were those that didn't begin with the player accepting a quest. They began once a player entered the vicinity. Kirito sighed, as it meant that it was going to be easy to miss these types quests.

The quest he finished was a basic quest that held a pattern. Usually, these quests were located near the place where players would enter after beating the previous floor boss. The quest would showcase the most basic type of monster that would exist in the floor. It would give the players a small heads up if they completed the quest.

Kirito entered the small village, looking around for equipment. If there were any new weapons, he could compile a list and send it to Diabel to update the possible list of classes. He frowned as he inspected the shops, noticing that they lacked any variety. Kirito assumed that it was because of the small village size, but he didn't have any proof to back his theory up. There wasn't any **[[Blacksmith]]** NPCs either. Remembering about blacksmithing, he opened up the menu for his **[Anneal Blade]** to see what the next required items were. Upgrades were just far too important to pass up.

 **« Required material to Upgrade to Anneal Blade +6 »**

 **« 3x Great Oxen Hooves »**

Fortunately, these materials were going to be obtainable at this floor. As Kirito explored the city, he noticed a crowd of NPCs standing near the entrance of the city. Upon close inspection, he noticed that the NPCs gathered were ones that had a occupation. There was one who seemed to be dressed like chef, a NPC that dressed like a merchant, and more that dressed differently.

Sensing a quest, Kirito walked up to the NPCs, asking if they needed help. They all turned around, huddling around him before talking.

"The items we ordered for delivery were supposed to arrive a few days ago, but they still haven't arrived! We are running out of stock, from food to merchandise! Please, will you help out and see what the problem is?" The NPCs asked.

 **« Investigation of the Missing Delivery: Will you accept this quest? »**

 **« Yes/No »**

Accepting the quest, Kirito headed out, planning to head to _**[Urbus]**_. He made a trek, enjoying the warmth of the sun as he did so. He had met some oxen enemies, but he hadn't met any of the **[Great Oxen]**. He frowned, wondering where they could be located. He made quick work of the enemies that he met as he ran towards the main city.

When he arrived, Kirito proceeded to head straight towards the bazaars and inns of the city. The NPCs back in _**[Marome]**_ gave a hint, saying that the delivery should have carried food and other merchandise. He frowned as the NPCs gave him information. According to them, they had already sent out the delivery. In fact, the delivery wagon didn't return to them as it should have once the delivery was complete.

Kirito cupped his chin. The most likely outcome was that the delivery cart got lost, or it got ambushed by some form of enemy. It was good to know that the cart would have to be between the two villages. That cut down on the amount of ground he had to cover. He shivered at the thought of exploring the entire floor to just find a single wagon.

Another observation that Kirito made was that there was no NPC **[[Blacksmith]]**. He clicked his tongue. The NPCs at the second floor would have better skills than the NPCs at the first floor. They only had the starting smith, which meant that their skills were limited.

He let out an exasperated breath, turning around. He got rid of the thought, instead focusing on the current quest. _**[Urbus]**_ was a city that had one entrance. It was because the city was located on the top of a mountain, hidden in the crater. The earth that was raised around the city acted as a natural barricade, meaning that the city didn't need to build an artificial wall like the _**[City of Beginnings]**_.

Kirito opened his map, imagining what route the NPCs would take in order to reach _**[Marome]**_. Considering that they used wagons, they would avoid any moist land in between, opting for flat and dry land that consisted of solid ground. The route Kirito arrived in had a lot of vegetation. The wagon wheels in the main city were made of wood, so the NPCs would also avoid the grassy plains.

Thankfully, Kirito had a passage that gave him a head start. From the road that allowed entry into _**[Urbus]**_ , a small road continued, later fading. However, the land was cleared of any plants, which was likely because the wagons traveled over it. From that point on, Kirito simply just followed the trail.

His eyes widened as he reached a certain point. The land around him looked like an arena. The flat trail of land expanded into a wide circle, with tall grass encompassing them. There was no way that this formation could be made naturally. Kirito squinted his eyes as he saw movement. In the center of the field was a broken wagon with items spilling out everywhere. Near the wagon stood a humongous bull, seeming to be near 4 meters tall. Kirito laughed half-heartedly as he saw the huge health bar.

 **[Bulbous Bow]** was the name of the enemy, and judging by the red text, it meant that the enemy was a **[[Unique]]** enemy. It was his first encounter with one. They gave better drops, and Kirito licked his lips in excitement at the thought of getting another good item. Then again, it was a quest that led the players to meet their first **[[Unique]]** enemy. The **[Bulbous Bow]** was likely to drop a fairly common items.

He jumped out, attracting the aggro of the **[Bulbous Bow]**. As far as Kirito could see in the game, monster attack patterns could be estimated based on the weapons they used. Kirito ran around the enemy, estimating what moves it could possibly used. The horns would obviously be used in frontal attacks, such as charges. The legs would most likely kick back the player, if the player attacked the rear of the bull.

"!" Kirito let out a yelp as he leaped towards the side. He coughed as dust entered his virtual lungs. The sudden attack of the bull interrupted his mental thoughts. The **[Bulbous Bow]** was insanely fast, he barely had time to avoid the attack.

"You piece of meat…" Kirito muttered ominously. His mouth watered at the thought of obtaining steak from the enemy. It would be a dream come true if the bull actually dropped a steak. He wiped the saliva off the corner of his mouth, sidestepping the bull as it charged. As it passed by Kirito, he made sure to attack, attempting to get damage when he could.

His attack was successful, as the bull stumbled slightly after passing by. Kirito eyed every movement of the bull carefully, not wanting to get surprised again. Much to his pleasant surprise, the **[Bulbous Bow]** didn't change its attack pattern, continuing to only charge towards Kirito. Another cycle of attacking while dodging assumed. His lips curled into a frustrated frown as he saw the health bar of the bull. It had barely budged at all.

His eyes focused back onto the bull as it repeated another charging attack. Kirito expected the **[Bulbous Bow]** to be a strong monster, as it was a unique monster. He didn't expect it to be difficult because of the large health pool and singular attack that caused the player to focus at all stages of the fight. As he dodged another attack, Kirito applied stronger force to his grip. This fight was going to take long, but it was a fight that he was going to win.

 _ **X-Sword Art Online:Realization-X**_

"No more… Please… No more!" An anguished cry echoed through the Savannah. Only silence responded, causing the owner of the cry to bawl even more.

"Just… One… More…" The voice held no joy, straining with every word. It seemed as if the voice was trying to encourage itself, despite the fact that it already gave up all hope.

The sound of a **[[Sword Arts]]** reverberated, and Kirito stared at the **[Bulbous Bow]** as it ran past him. His eyes narrowed viciously as he saw the bull turn around, cursing everything around him. He took a small risk, staring at the clock to see how much time he spent on the fight.

"Two fucking hours? Are you SERIOUS!" He roared. This was just torture. For two hours, Kirito had repeatedly attacked the bull once as the monster charged by him. That was the only opportunity to attack. He really regretted being a solo player, wishing that all 51 first floor clearers came to assist him.

"One… More!" He cried out desperately. His throat was sore. He had been yelling out the same words for the past hour, hoping that an extra single attack would take down the **[Bulbous Bow]**. Luck was not on his side as he continued the battle. He gasped for air, rolling to the side in a exhausted fashion. He yelled out a roar that reflected the built up frustration, sword cutting through the bull's skin.

The sound of particles erupting entered Kirito's ears, and his face snapped upwards, looking at the now empty field. Tears welled up in eyes, and he slammed his head down into the ground, yelling out incomprehensible words. Tears and snot ran down his face, and he wiped them as he looked at the drops he got.

 **« You have slain the unique enemy: Bulbous Bow! »**

 **« Bulbous Bow drops: »**

 **« 1220 Col »**

 **« 370 Exp »**

 **« 1x Shield of the Steady »**

Truthfully, the battle with the **[Bulbous Bow]** was not exactly difficult. Yes, it required a ridiculous amount of tedious work, but the strategy wasn't hard to pull off. Still, the **[Bulbous Bow]** had given him more Col and Exp than the **[Night Giant]** he had fought a couple of days ago. If he made a direct comparison, and fought the two enemies without knowing their level or location, he would say that the **[Night Giant]** would be the stronger enemy. The **[[Unique]]** title must have made the bull have a larger bounty.

As the text of the item drop entered his sight, his body stood still, blood running cold. Birds flew from their resting spot from a sudden roar that traveled through the entire second floor. He stomped his feet on the ground, proceeding to roll over. He was whining profusely, as his hard effort didn't benefit him at all. It didn't take a genius to figure out that there was no way Kirito would be able to equip the shield.

The enemy was one that excelled in health. Being called **[Shield of the Steady]** hinted towards the **VIG** stat. He still opened the item description to see what the item did.

 **« Shield of the Steady »**

 **« A shield that is crafted from the sturdiest material available on Urbus »**

 **« Required Stats to Equip »**

 **« Level Requirement: Level 7 »**

 **« STR: 10 »**

 **« VIG: 25 »**

 **« Required material to Upgrade to Shield of the Steady +1 »**

 **« 3x Wild Bull Horns »**

 **« Durability: 220/220 »**

 **« Weight: 13.2 »**

 **« Defense: 12 »**

 **« Passive Effect: »**

 **« +5 Vig when equipped »**

"How unfortunate." He muttered. The item was an uncommon item too, as the green background indicated it. Considering that he never invested points into **VIG** , the item was worthless to him. In order to identify the better items at the beginning, it was crucial to focus on the name. Most of the weaker equipment usually had the material in the beginning, such as **[Leather Shield]**. Many items at the current floor were expected to have the material in the name, as they were only on the second floor. The name of this shield further proved its rarity.

He was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the drop. It seemed that even if the quest made the player meet a mandatory **[[Unique]]** enemy, it still gave a good drop. As a solo player, he wasn't going to farm this enemy. He wasn't willing to spend hours to kill it just once.

"Guess I'll give this item to someone else." Kirito sheathed his sword, closing the message. He didn't notice that another message was queued up, so he jolted in surprise as another interface greeted him.

 **« You have gained a Mastery Level for the following: One Handed Swords »**

 **« One Handed Swords: 1/200 »**

 **« Damage dealt by One Handed Swords increased by 5% »**

"5%?" Kirito asked out loud. A worried expression crossed over his face. This was significantly different from the bonus he gained from his **[Anneal Blade]**. The 5% **STR** bonus he gained from his weapon was great, but the game made it so that the sword would inevitably be replaced with a better one. Also, as far as Kirito knew, the main source of damage came not from the **STR** and **DEX** attribute, but from the weapon stats.

To have his overall damage for **[[One Handed Swords]]** to increase by 5%, that was too much. Kirito did quick calculations in his head. He estimated that he had slain around 200-300 enemies at this point. If he was able to level up the mastery once for every two floors, then it meant that the bonus damage would increase exponentially. If his mastery was level 10, it meant that he would do 50% more damage.

This gave Kirito a bad feeling. Either Kayaba had overturned some numbers, or the enemies in the later floors would have insane amounts of health. He got rid of the thought, deciding that he would address the problem once it arises.

Instead, he walked towards the broken wagon. The quest most likely required some part of the wagon, proving that it was destroyed. He smiled, as he saw something glow. He picked up the item, and the game message identified the item for him.

 **« You have found: Crushed Wooden Emblem! »**

As Kirito played with the emblem, tossing it around, he couldn't help but marvel at the detail put into the emblem. The emblem was small, the size being that of a baseball. The emblem had carvings, and a player could identify the carving as a city. To be precise, it was a wood carving that portrayed the city of _**[Urbus]**_. With the emblem now stored in his inventory, Kirito walked forward, traveling to _**[Marome]**_. Unfortunately, all the items inside the wagon were unusable.

Kirito made a pathway straight to the quest giving NPC when he arrived. He handed the NPC the **[Crushed Wooden Emblem]** , which in cause made the NPC yell out in frustration.

"Thank you for investigating the problem for us adventurer." The NPC said, completing the quest. His face lit up with joy as he read the new notification.

 **« You have acquired the following for completing the following quest: »**

 **« Investigation of the Missing Delivery »**

 **« 385 Col »**

 **« 162 Exp »**

 **« Congratulations, you are now Level 9! »**

It was about time that he leveled up, as he gained an abundance of Exp from the boss, quests, mobs, and the **[[Unique]]** monster. He gained 8 new points, points that he would save up. It was tempting to use the points to level up his **VIG** , so he could equip the **[Shield of the Steady]**. Leveling up was hard, so he didn't want to mess up his build by spending almost all of his unused points into **VIG**.

When he entered the front gates of _**[Urbus]**_ , a commotion attracted his attention. Looking at the source, Kirito noticed that copious amounts of people that were walking towards a large dome shaped building. He had noticed the building before, but had decided not to enter it as he was busy doing his quest. As he focused on the people, Kirito noticed that they were all players and not NPCs.

Curious, Kirito headed his way towards the building. Once he had entered, he looked around, surprised at the gigantic size of the building. His body shook as the temperature of the building was abnormally low. He felt a shiver run down his spine. The shiver was caused by an ominous feeling. The room was far too quiet, considering how many people were inside.

A large stone tab sat at the end of dome. Kirito narrowed his eyes, attempting to see why everyone was focusing on the stone. His hands froze as he saw what was engraved. It was filled with names that he didn't recognize. There were names engraved onto the stones, written in small letters. It didn't take long for Kirito to realize that the stone had the names of all the players written on them. Another shiver ran down his spine as he saw some names crossed out.

Without a doubt, those were the players that had lost their lives to this game.

 _ **X-Sword Art Online:Realization-X**_

* * *

 **After note**

 **Stat update:**

 **« Kirito: Level 9 »**

 **« STR: 25 »**

 **« DEX: 20 »**

 **« CON: 8 »**

 **« AGI: 15 »**

 **« VIG: 4 »**

 **« RES: 6 »**

 **« END: 4 »**

 **« FOC: 3 »**

 **« ATU: 3 »**

 **« LUC: 3 »**

 **« Unused Stat Points: 25 »**

 **Sword Arts:**

 **« Reinforced Slash: 82/1000 »**

 **« Quick Strike: 57/1000 »**

 **« Explosive Charge: 49/1000 »**

 **Passive Bonuses:**

 **« One-handed Sword Damage Increased by 5% »**

 **« Resistance to Blind: 15% »**

 **« -10% Blind Duration »**

 **« STR raised by 5% »**

 **Equipment:**

 **« Anneal Blade +5 »**

 **« Armlet of the Brave »**

 **« Beginner's Armor Set »**

 **« Coat of Midnight »**

 **« 3672 Col »**

 **Raw Stats:**

 **« Health: 100 »**

 **« Damage: 150 »**

 **« Magic Resist: 34 »**

 **« Defense: 15 »**

 **« Poise: 10 »**

 **« Sword Arts Damage Multiplier: x1.09 »**

 **« Rare Drop Chance: 0.115% »**

 **« Crit Chance: 0.1015% »**

 **« Crit Damage Multiplier: x2.09 »**

 **« Resistance to Negative Status Effects: .015% »**

 **« -10% Blind Duration »**

 **« Weight Capacity: 44.8/125 »**

Please note that while I do have my system of how I calculate these stats, my math might be incorrect. Also note that these 'Raw Stats' are not to be taken seriously at all. It's just something on the side that I thought of as fun. It's also something I use to keep track of the points and stats that Kirito has. They will be shown in the **Afternote** rarely, only appearing sometimes to show a status update.


	6. Chapter 5 - Taurus

**Author's Note**

 **Fifth chapter in the series, hope you enjoy!**

 **[Text] - In-game item or monster names**

 **[[Text]] - SAO terms**

 **«Text» - Game menu text or skill names**

 _ **[Text]**_ **\- In-game locations**

* * *

 _ **X-Sword Art Online:Realization-X**_

His eyes moved rapidly, searching for the names that were crossed out. The names of 20,000 people were engraved, and it was hard to look through every one of them. His chest ached more for every scratch he saw. Those were people that were never going to come back.

Curiosity killed the cat. The saying was perfect for the present situation. Players that didn't even dare to travel outside of the _**[City of Beginnings]**_ were making there way to see the amount of players that died. While he was busy completing his quest, it seemed that news of the stone had already traveled to everyone. Kirito gritted his teeth.

Of course horrible news would travel quickly and effectively, while news that could help clear the game didn't get passed around. Morale had finally increased after the clearing of the first floor too. They were back to the starting point, as people around him were all frozen with fear. Kirito pushed his way out of the crowd. The negative atmosphere was suffocating him.

He placed his hands on his knees as he escaped from the dome, trying to even his breaths.

"842 players died." Kirito snapped his head upwards, his eyes meeting the eyes of Argo. She was standing next to a building, leaning back against it for support as she crossed her arms over her stomach. His eyes widened as he heard the number. Barely any players ventured out. If he had to make a guess, he would guess that maybe 2-3 thousand players dared to leave the safety of the city.

That would mean the mortality rate neared almost 30%. He felt like vomiting.

"Most of them were beta testers too." She exclaimed. His eyes widened as he heard the news. Most of the deaths were from the beta testers? How? Shouldn't the beta testers be the ones with the advantage? Sure, it was probable that most of the people who ventured out were beta testers, as they were already familiar with the game.

"They were impatient, rushing towards the harder quests right away, because they thought they could handle them. Of course, they didn't expect the game to differ so much from the beta. They didn't realize the significantly low Exp gains, as well as the addition of stats. I've got tons of messages, listing the differences." Argo said.

His breathing calmed down. Kirito himself took most of the beta knowledge seriously. However, unlike the other testers, he took the time to plan out a schedule, aiming towards a specific level before proceeding to take on the quests. Although he may have not noticed consciously, he had been playing the game in a cocky way too. The idea to fight against the level 10 **[Night Giant]** came into mind.

Was it because he didn't take the threat of his life seriously? Maybe it was. No matter what Kayaba said, it still felt as if he was playing a game. The game menus, the text, the leveling up, everything was that of the familiar MMORPGs he played previously.

"How do you know how many people died? Did you actually look through every single name? In fact, why do you get so many messages from strangers?" He asked, wanting to dismiss his previous thought. It was disturbing to think that he was having fun with the game when the lives of others were at stake.

"I have my sources. Besides, although I also have the ultimate goal of clearing the game, I took on the role of something else. An **[[Information Broker]]**." Argo casually replied. The name explained itself. **[[Information Brokers]]** were players that aimed for information that was unknown to the public and players. It made sense as to why she seeked information from him during their bargain. Still, it left a sour taste in his mouth.

"You sell information for money don't you? Should you really be doing that, even to players like me and Diabel? We're doing our best to clear the game, every information helps." Argo let out a sad smile as she began to speak.

"You haven't stayed around in the _**[City of Beginnings]**_ have you?" Her voice was quiet, and Kirito stayed silent.

"Unless somehow all 20,000 players are all friends that trust each other, there's no way a charity system will work Kirito. Even if we all have Kayaba Akihiko as our common enemy, we are all still people. I gave information for free at first you know, hoping that every bit will help clear the game. I even gave out most of the equipment I obtained through drops at first. Do you know what happened?" She asked.

"They fought like rabid mad men, attacking each other for a common drop that could be obtained easily. It caused malice to be spread between the few players that actively tried to clear the game. You know what questions they asked me? They asked about the private information of players they disliked, trying to find out how they could sabotage their progress. As much as we want to think of this world as a game, we have to treat it like the real world." Argo's face was covered in shadows as she tilted her head downwards.

"Though, I told you about one of the more extreme cases." She included, lifting up her face. Kirito avoided looking at her face, as it was obvious that she was trying to uplift the solemn mood.

"Well why don't you give me free information then? We're best friends aren't we?" He asked with a smile on face. He wanted to get rid of all negative thoughts too.

"Ehhhhh?" Argo exclaimed as she scrunched her face up in a joking way.

"No way stranger. I'm charging you extra for everything." Kirito ignored Argo's jab, thinking about his shield. He was going to give the item to the first person that asked for it, but listening to Argo's story made him change his mind. He would most likely bargain for the item, as he had tried with the **[Blue Metal Ore]**. He walked towards the teleportation gate, before Argo stopped him.

"Where are you going?" Kirito turned around before answering.

"I got a pretty good shield from a drop. I'm thinking of putting up a bargain for it." He replied. His brows furrowed in confusion as Argo let out a large sigh.

"Don't do that. The only reason you were able to bargain with me is because I actually check the boards. If I haven't taken up your request, it was most likely that no one else would have. Instead, let's do this Kirito." Kirito's eyes narrowed in suspicion, but decided to listen to the upcoming offer.

"I can let you get the maximum gain for your shield. With my secret business method, I'll get a private auction going. It's going to be safe, as the identities of the people who participate in the auction will be known only to me." Kirito hummed in response, thinking about the offer. His eyes narrowed even further as he glared at Argo. There was no doubt going to be a catch.

"Of course, I'll expect a small reward from you, as I act as the middle player between the transactions. How does it sound?" She asked slyly. It made sense for her to ask for a reward, as she was using her own personal time to complete a deal.

"5%." Kirito said. He jumped back in fear as he saw the scary look on Argo's face.

"Huuhhhhh!? 5%? Are you kidding me? 5%? 5%?" She roared repeatedly. Kirito leaned back towards the wall as Argo walked closer to him with each word. Her nose was almost touching his, and she was jabbing her finger on his chest. How was so much pressure being exerted from a brat like her?

"I was about to offer sharing the reward 20-80, me being the 20, but I change my mind. 50-50!" Argo yelled. Kirito felt himself getting traumatized, and tried to hold the girl's shoulder in attempt to push her off.

"L-l-let's calm down Argo. It was just a joke, a prank!" Kirito tried to appease Argo. The girl was bearing her teeth, growling at him. She calmed down a bit after, slowly backing off. Kirito let out a sigh or relief, but it was cut short as he felt her glare still concentrate on him.

She opened up her game menu, and she clicked a few options, before a notification appeared in Kirito's face.

 **« Argo: has sent you a friend request, do you accept? »**

 **« Yes/No »**

"Heh, so you do think of me as a friend!" Kirito yelled condescendingly, barking out exaggerated laughter with a smug look on his face. His moment of victory was cut short, as he felt a numbing sensation on his hand. Argo was biting his hand, and although no one could feel physical pain in the world of Aincrad, Kirito swore that he felt pain.

"I'm sending you the request because it's impossible to find the last message log we had! I always get constant messages from others unlike you! Send me all the information about the shield, from required stats to bonuses right now! I'll message you once I get the highest bid on the shield. Right after we're done with this auction, I'm deleting you from the list right away!" She yelled, as she pointed a finger at him. She turned around and left after, body teleporting to the first floor. Kirito was left to stare at the empty space.

"Why do I feel like she'll actually delete me after?" He wondered out loud. Only silence answered. Well, it was time to grind a bit and try to obtain the materials for his **[Anneal Blade]**. He quickly sent Argo the information she asked for, before heading out towards the savannah.

 _ **X-Sword Art Online:Realization-X**_

 **« Red Great Ox Drops: »**

 **« 86 Col »**

 **« 41 Exp »**

 **« 2x Great Oxen Hooves »**

Kirito hummed happily as he saw that he gained two more drops. He stretched his body as he yawned. The **[Great Oxen Hooves]** only dropped from the **[Great Ox]** variation of enemies, which were hard to find. He was able to spend the rest of the day on hunting as many as he could, resulting him in holding 13 of the hooves in his inventory. It was likely enough to get his **[Anneal Blade]** to +7, as long as the upgrade didn't fail.

He was most likely to level up soon, as the **[Great Ox]** gave generous amounts of Exp. He had also farmed many other bulls and ox, adding to his piled Exp points. It was nearing dinner time, so Kirito traveled back to the _**[City of Beginnings]**_ in order to find food, as well as to upgrade his beloved weapon.

He first headed towards the **[[Blacksmith]]** , handing over the materials to upgrade his weapon. The NPC took the materials, and swung the small hammer down into the glowing sword. The NPC swung again and again, before a message appeared.

 **« Anneal Blade has failed to upgrade to: Anneal Blade +6! »**

 **« The following penalty(s) have been applied: »**

 **« Durability: -15 »**

 **« Success Probability increased by 1% »**

Kirito sighed. It was the first time that an upgrade had failed. He opened up the menu, checking the overall durability of the weapon.

 **« Durability: 112/185 »**

The weapon had decreased in durability thanks to the repeated use of the weapon. As the current durability of the weapon was 185, it meant that the **[Anneal Blade]** started with a durability of 200. He still excess amount of materials, as well as Col, so Kirito grit his teeth before making the NPC try again. Every time an upgrade attempt failed, the probability of it being successful increased. He hoped that the next attempt would succeed with the 1% bonus.

 **« Anneal Blade has failed to upgrade to: Anneal Blade +6! »**

 **« The following penalty(s) have been applied: »**

 **« Durability: -15 »**

 **« Success Probability increased by 1% »**

 **« Anneal Blade has failed to upgrade to: Anneal Blade +6! »**

 **« The following penalty(s) have been applied: »**

 **« Durability: -15 »**

 **« Success Probability increased by 1% »**

 **« Anneal Blade has failed to upgrade to: Anneal Blade +6! »**

 **« The following penalty(s) have been applied: »**

 **« Durability: -15 »**

 **« Success Probability increased by 1% »**

His face twitched angrily as he saw the multiple windows appear in front of his face. He reared his head back, facing the sky. He slapped his face hard, covering his eyes with his hand. Kirito's body started to shake as he began to laugh. The laughter echoed throughout the busy streets, and a few people turned to stare at the lunatic that was Kirito.

They flinched back as the black haired lunatic started yelling at the NPC, stomping on the ground multiple times. The NPC, not having many lines of dialogue, repeatedly welcomed the customer to his workshop.

"Kuh! If we only had a player **[[Blacksmith]]**! A level three beginner smith would have a higher rate of success than you!" Kirito yelled, pointing a finger accusingly at the NPC. Again, the NPC just welcomed Kirito to his shop, causing Kirito to yell in anger again. He checked the durability on his weapon again.

 **« Durability: 67/140 »**

"I'm sorry **[Anneal Blade]**!" His voice was filled with anguish as he fell to his knees. He grabbed at the fabric around his chest in mental pain. Well, it was to be expected. In fact, he was quite lucky to have all his other attempts end up in success. It was only a matter of time. Still, it felt like shit to have four failed attempts.

He talked to the NPC, wanting to see how much it would cost to repair the sword's durability. His jaw dropped as he saw the prices.

 **« Durability Repair: »**

 **« 500 Col per 10 Durability »**

 **« Durability Increase: »**

 **« 1000 Col per 10 Durability »**

 **« + »**

 **« 1x Raw Iron Ore per 10 Durability »**

 **« OR »**

 **« 1x Iron Ingot per 25 Durability »**

50 freaking Col per only 10 durability? This was blasphemy! If he wanted to repair his weapon to 137 durability, it would cost him 3500 Col. Increasing the durability was out of the question, as he never even seen **[Iron Ores]** in the game yet. Kirito collapsed face first into the stone cold tiles.

"Umm… Excuse me?" Kirito lazily peaked at the person leaning over him. He didn't want to talk to anyone right now. As he stared at the person, he noticed the little freckles under eyes. He looked upwards, making contact with dark pink colored eyes.

Kirito let out a groan as he switched his position, sitting cross legged. It was a young female who had brown hair. He raised his eyebrows at her, causing the girl to fidget uncomfortably.

"I couldn't help but notice that you said something about players being **[[Blacksmiths]]**." All signs of uncertainty vanished as soon as she starting speaking. From the optimistic and happy tone of her voice, Kirito deduced that the girl in front of him was someone sociable.

"I did. Why, do you want to become one!?" He leaned forward clasping the girl's hands. Was this kind soul willing to become a **[[Blacksmith]]**? If she did, then he wouldn't have to rely on the stupid NPC **[[Blacksmith]]** that ruined his beloved weapon. It was totally the NPC's fault, not the game's luck based percentage system. She stared in confusion at the sudden contact before speaking. A guilty look crossed over her face.

"Well, I'm one of the people that didn't dare to venture out because of fear. I don't want to spend everyday sitting at the inns doing nothing. So if being a **[[Blacksmith]]** helps the players that are trying to clear the game, then I'll become one." She finished.

What a kind angel! Kirito wiped the happy tears from his eyes. He became serious again as he told her about the current situation.

"In order to be a **[[Blacksmith]]** , the **[[Lifestyle]]** needs to be unlocked, most likely through a quest. Right now, no one knows how to unlock **[[Blacksmith]]**. It could be on any floor, through any quest." Her eyes looked towards the floor with a downcast face. It seemed that she really wanted to help the players.

"Don't worry." He said, causing the girl to look up. "I don't mean to be cocky, but I'm one of the best players in the game right now. If I ever find the way to unlock **[[Blacksmith]]** , then you'll be the first one I tell, alright miss...?" He trailed off, asking for the girl's name.

"Lisbeth!" She chirped with a smile.

"I'm Kirito, and I hope to see you help the other players in the near future." He smiled back at her. Someone else called out Lisbeth's name causing the two to turn their heads around. Kirito's eyes fell upon a young boy. If he had to guess, he would say that the boy was an elementary school child. Lisbeth rushed back to the boy, holding his hand. She gave Kirito one last wave before she left his sights.

A warm feeling filled Kirito's heart as he realized that Lizbeth was already helping. She was taking care of the players that were children. His smile was still plastered on his face as he turned back towards the **[[Blacksmith]]** NPC. He let out a loud sigh, paying his entire savings to pay for the repair of his **[Anneal Blade]**.

He prayed that Argo fetched a large price for the shield. He doubted that he was going to be able to get 3500 Col, but one could dream. His stomach growled in hunger, causing him to check the amount of Col he had left.

 **« 326 Col »**

Another exasperated breath left his lungs as he headed towards one of the bazaars. It was time to save up money again. He purchased multiple **[Bread Loaves]**. At least he had some butter and jam. He nibbled at the food, moaning contently as the sweet flavor entered his mouth. His moment ended when he finished his portion. He stood up, eyes filled with determination again. He had ran out of **[Great Oxen Hooves]** , and his weapon still needed to be upgraded. Thanks to the four failed upgrades, he had a 4% increased chance to succeed.

He teleported his way back to the second floor. It was approaching night, and Kirito was also curious as to what enemies spawned during the night on the second floor.

 _ **X-Sword Art Online:Realization-X**_

Kirito woke up the next morning, flipping around the bed multiple times. He wanted to sleep in more today, as he spent almost the entire night farming for Col and materials for his upgrade. Similar to the first floor, different varieties of enemies spawned. However, he wasn't able to meet a monster like the **[Night Giant]**. He couldn't fall asleep again, as repeated notification noises rang out. Kirito let out a mumbled growl, swiping his hand to see who was interrupting his peace.

His angry expression was replaced with a blank, vacant look as he read the notification. The first thing that Kirito noticed was the name that was messaging him. It was Argo, and he lazily skimmed through the spam she was sending to him. Kirito groaned as he got the basic gist of the messages. The messages were mostly reiterating messages that were telling him to wake up.

He screamed into his pillow. Could Argo not wait until the afternoon or something? Did she really have to message him so early in the morning? He was about to unleash his wrath to Argo, but stopped as he noticed the time.

Oh. It was two in the afternoon.

"Ohhhhhhhh…" Kirito croaked in surprise. Was it really already that late? He swiped his finger to find the first message Argo sent him. As he saw the message, all traces of sleep left him. He fell out of his bed, ignoring the numb sensation on his rear. He hurriedly left the inn, heading towards the first floor to meet Argo.

He pushed multiple NPCs and players around him, causing them to all yell angrily at him. He didn't let them bother him, as his priorities were lying elsewhere. He leapt forward, passing through the town portal. As soon as he arrived to the first floor portal, he ran towards the location Argo was telling him to go. He soon found Argo waiting impatiently, arms crossing over his chest. For some strange reason, Kirito felt the phenomenon of deja vu.

"This is the second time you made a lady wait for a long time." Ah, that was it! He made Argo wait the first time they made a bargain. He avoided eye contact as Argo was glaring at him with hostility.

"I'm sorry, I was grinding late into the night, I just woke up!" He yelled, bowing down towards the information broker.

"Excuses, excuses." Argo muttered, shaking her head from side to side.

"Maximum bid was finalized this morning. I wanted to meet you for that reason." His face tilted upwards at the news. The auction was already finished? His eyes lit up with expectation. Argo coughed, as she was uncomfortable with the look that Kirito was giving.

"1280 Col was the final call." An embarrassed blush filled her face as Kirito started clapping. He gave her a thumbs up afterwards. It was more than he expected in all honesty. In fact, he would have been surprised if the shield sold for 800. It seemed that there were some players who really wanted his shield.

"Who bought it anyways?" He asked curiously. Argo recovered from her embarrassment, giving Kirito a playful look.

"That's a secret Kirito ~. Unless well, you're willing to spend the Col to buy the information of course." He ignored the offer, opening up his menu so he could trade the item to Argo. She accepted the trade offer before she headed off towards the buyer. She had told him to wait at the current location, so he crossed his arms across his chest as he waited.

His face filled with disbelief as Argo returned almost a minute later.

"How…?" Kirito asked dumbfoundedly. Noticing his surprise, Argo sneered loudly as she had a arrogant smile plastered across her face. She offered him a trade, and his eyebrows rose in confusion at the amount that she was giving him. The number on the trade request was 640.

"Why am I only getting 640 Col?" He demanded the answer now.

"Che. You noticed?" She grumbled.

'This little…' Kirito thought as his face glowered. He lightly knuckled the head of Argo, causing the girl to yell in protest. She pouted, before changing the amount. He received 1024 Col, and quick math told him that Argo took the agreed 20%.

"Well, I guess I'll keep you on my list for now. It's a great way for me to get quick Col. Tell me if you plan on selling other items you don't need. That **[Anneal Blade]** would fetch a really good price." Argo stated.

"I'll never sell my baby!" Kirito grinned ear to ear as he reciprocated the joke, wrapping his arm around his weapon. Maybe, just maybe, Argo considered him as a friend. She left his field of vision, and Kirito headed back towards the **[[Blacksmith]]**. It was time for attempt number five.

Kirito stood in front of the NPC, his shadow covering the anvil. He puffed out his chest, steeling himself with the utmost determination. The odds were against him, but this time, the upgrade would be completed successfully. His fingers twitched with hesitation as he heard the sound of the hammer hit his sword.

 **« Anneal Blade has failed to upgrade to: Anneal Blade +6! »**

 **« The following penalty(s) have been applied: »**

 **« Durability: -15 »**

 **« Success Probability increased by 1% »**

His ironclad will crumbled instantly, and he was kneeling against the floor. He made the NPC attempt another upgrade, and Kirito gathered his hands, eyes closed with stress. He prayed to any god or omnipotent being to let the upgrade succeed. His weapon's durability increased far too much.

 **« Anneal Blade has been successfully upgraded to: Anneal Blade +6! »**

 **« Damage has been increased by 14! »**

His hands formed tight fists as he celebrated the success.

His moment was interrupted as a message popped up. It was from Diabel. Curious, Kirito enlarged the window to see what Diabel needed.

« Second **[[Boss Room]]** has been found by another party. Let's discuss. Come to the amphitheater. »

His eyebrows raised in surprise. The players had managed to find the **[[Boss Room]]** much faster than they did on the first floor. The amphitheater was close, and Kirito shook hands with Diabel when he arrived. They quickly took their seat, discussion turning serious.

"Two bosses, **[Nato the Colonel Taurus]** and **[Baran the General Taurus]**. Unlike most of the oxen enemies, they are more humanoid, standing on two legs. **[Nato the Colonel Taurus]** uses a two-handed hammer, while the other uses a one-handed hammer. Their attacks are slow, but powerful. The battle starts off with both bosses. The problem is…" Diabel trailed.

"We don't know what changed from the beta." Kirito finished. Diabel sighed as he nodded. The minor change in the first boss fight caused huge panic throughout the players. Boss fights were only going to get harder from now on.

"Do you think we should attempt a fight right now though? It's been what , three days since we entered the second floor? I think we were able to fight the first boss with ease as players were able to level up for a whole week. I only gained two levels since I came to the second floor." Kirito told Diabel.

The blue haired player nodded at the question. The players had no way of knowing the recommended level, and overleveling was not harmful to the players in any way.

"Well, I'll hold a meeting for any players that want to help clear the second boss. I think the only way we can prepare is to have a minimum level system. Players under the minimum level won't be able to participate in the boss fight. I think level 8 should be fine for this floor. Well, since you already know information about the boss, you don't need to come to the meeting tomorrow." Diabel concluded.

"Must be hard for you, trying to lead the players." Kirito muttered.

"It's a responsibility someone had to take." Diabel said as he stood up. The two friends parted with their goodbyes, and Kirito was left to ponder about his next task. The boss fight would take place most likely later in the week, and he was already a level above the expected recommended level that Diabel set. A smile formed on his lips. What was he going to do next? It was obvious. It didn't matter if his level was already high enough for the boss.

He was going to grind.

 _ **X-Sword Art Online:Realization-X**_

His breaths were steady, and he shuffled his feet, allowing his body to dodge the attack from the oncoming **[Infected Mad Cow]**. Kirito repositioned his feet as he eyed the knee joint of the cow. After multiple encounters, Kirito had learned that the knee was the **[[Critical Spot]]**. The **[Infected Mad Cow]** charged, and Kirito lowered his body to increase his accuracy.

Kirito used his pivot foot to jump towards the side, using his other foot to get a safe landing. As he landed, he used both hands to increase the power of his swing, feeling his hands numb as his weapon made contact with the monster.

The **[Infected Mad Cow]** mooed in pain, losing its balance as its knee gave out. The monster stumbled as its legs collapsed, causing the cow to flip forward. **[[Vulnerable]]** showed up on top of the monster, and Kirito rushed to get his attacks in. He continued his attacks, using only his basic attacks. When he noticed the cow struggling to get up, Kirito finished off his combo with **«Reinforced Slash»**.

"Whew!" He let out a breath as he sheathed his sword, the enemy dispersing into pixels. Thankfully, the game depended on the user's skill. Who knew that the engraved kendo training would help him in this death game? Multiple windows appeared in front of him, and Kirito stared through them individually, thinking about the abnormal enemy he had just faced.

Normally, the cow wasn't a monster that he could fight. The cows were usually owned by specific NPCs, and even when Kirito found wild cows, he left them alone because of their docile nature. The infected part of the name happened when the cow was stung by the **[Swarm Mosquito]**. When the mosquito bit into the cow, it caused the cows to become aggressive towards any other living things.

The NPCs had a way to defend their cattle from the mosquitos, so the mosquitos could only go for the wild cows. It was rare to find a **[Infected Mad Cow]** , and Kirito was initially surprised by the amount of Exp the cow gave.

 **« Infected Mad Cow Drops: »**

 **« 113 Col »**

 **« 83 Exp »**

 **« 1x Infected Sirloin »**

His mouth watered at the fact that the cows could drop meat, and he even considered raiding the cattle of the NPCs to obtain them. He had to smash his head against some rocks to get rid of the tempting thought.

 **« Reinforced Slash has reached 100 points! »**

 **« You have gained the following: »**

 **« 1x Reinforced Slash Skill Mod »**

"Oh?" Kirito pondered as he read the message. He clicked the **« Next »** button, eyes widening at the possible varieties that were presented to him.

 **« Reinforced Slash Mods: Please select one of the following »**

 **« 1. Improved Form: Increases skill damage by 20% »**

 **« 2. Faster Swing: Decreases cooldown by 20% »**

 **« 3. Finishing Strike: Increases damage to Vulnerable enemies by 80% »**

 **« Once you choose a Skill Mod, it is final, regardless of Re-spec »**

Kirito walked towards the nearest tree he could find in the savannah, sitting under the shade as he thought about the three available choices given to him. He instantly cancelled out option 2, as he didn't care about the cooldown of the skill. Yes, the skill was helpful, but Kirito's play style mostly relied on basic attacks.

The first choice was tempting, as increasing the damage overall meant that he would deal more damage whether the enemy was **[[Vulnerable]]** , or whether he attacked the **[[Reinforced Spots]]**. He pushed a hand through his hair, before pushing on option 3.

 **« Is this your final choice? »**

 **« Yes/No »**

He had made his decision, and the updated **[[Sword Arts]]** description of **«Reinforced Slash»** appeared in front of him.

 **« Reinforced Slash »**

 **« A powerful strike that is used by beginner swordsman »**

 **« Damage: Basic Attack x 1.5 »**

 **« Damage to Vulnerable enemies: Basic Attack x 3.3 »**

 **« Cooldown: 10 Seconds »**

Kirito whistled in approval at the damage. Most **[[Sword Arts]]** did more damage to **[[Vulnerable]]** enemies. With his **[[Skill Mod]]** , it increased the extra damage by 80%, making the entire attack do 330% of his basic attack damage to **[[Vulnerable]]** enemies. He flipped to the next window, raising a fist in celebration as he read the next window.

 **« Congratulations, you are now Level 11! »**

 **« You have unlocked the Sword Arts: Critical Parry! »**

Curious about his new skill, Kirito quickly navigated through the window to study his new skill.

 **« Critical Parry »**

 **« A move based on the timing of the user. If used correctly, the user sustains reduced »**

 **« damage from the parry. If timed incorrectly, the user sustains bonus damage. »**

 **« Damage Reduction on Success: 80% reduction »**

 **« Damage Amplification on Failure: 20% amplification »**

Kirito groaned as he read the description. The reduction was amazing, as it would block 80% of the damage that was sustained through the parry. Because a successful parry already reduces the amount of damage taken, the skill would further decrease the damage.

However, if the player failed, the player would take the full damage, with the damage being amplified by 20%. It was a skill that would require extensive knowledge on the enemies, requiring the knowledge of the attack patterns and timing. It was a skill that he wasn't going to likely ever use on a boss.

He closed the window, happy that his extensive grind rewarded him with two levels. He had worked hard in finding mobs, as well as paying copious amounts of Col to Argo in order to find locations of quests that he didn't find before. He made sure to glare at the girl every time he made a transaction.

As Diable had said, Kirito did not go to the strategy meeting that took place three days ago. He spent the three days grinding, hoping that the extra levels would make the boss fight easier than the others. Diabel sent a message to Kirito, saying that the boss fight would take place three days later, as the majority of the players were not above level 7. Three days were given to reach level 8.

It was early in the morning currently, and Kirito had woken up early, hunting some monsters to warm up his virtual body for the upcoming fight later today. He faced the clearing, eyes reflecting his calm feelings. He stood up from the shade, heading towards _**[Urbus]**_.

He breezed through the savannah, navigating around enemies that appeared in order to make it in time. Kirito took out a **[Bread Loaf]** , eating his breakfast as he covered ground. He sat down on one the benches when he arrived, as he still had time to spare. His thoughts wandered towards the real world.

November 6th, 2022 was the day 20,000 players were trapped. The date currently read November 28th, 2022. Already three weeks have passed since the beginning. Yet, they were still stuck on the second floor. Christmas and New Year's was approaching. The thought of his family caused him to grit his teeth.

Ever since the start of the game, Kirito had tried to block all thoughts of the real world. He averted all of his focus on clearing the game. Their priority was going back to the real world, not reminiscing about it. Even knowing that, many people, including himself, always thought back about the real world.

When Kazuto was born in the year 2006, his parents had died. At the time, he didn't know at all. He was adopted by the Kirigaya family, a distant relative. The family was nice to him, and they had treated him kindly.

A year later, his 'sister', Suguha was born. It was then that he started to notice weird differences. The way they treated Suguha was different from the way they treated him. He first assumed that the reason was because of gender. It seemed that they always bended towards Suguha's will, and treated her with more care than they had with him.

Except their grandpa that was. The grandfather of the family made Kazuto and Suguha pick up a kendo blade, and drilled in the rules and techniques of kendo into their head forcefully. He didn't enjoy practicing kendo, and he had no trouble in letting his grandpa know. However, that only fueled his grandpa's passion, causing the man to only train him harder.

When he neared the age of 12, Kazuto had accidentally found out about his parent's deaths. It was through pure coincidence. His 'father' had come in late at night, breath reeking with alcohol. His 'mother' was at his side, trying to support him. It was the day in which his grandma, or his 'father's' mother died.

He suddenly pointed a finger at Kazuto, telling the boy about how he was lucky to not even know who his real parents were. His wife hurriedly tried to shut his mouth, but the damage was already done. Two names were given, and Kazuto had searched up the two people. At that night, he understood that he was adopted by his extended family.

In front of those who adopted him, he tried to act normal as best he could. They were the ones who had raised him for the past 12 years. His adoptive mother had tried to act the same, but his adoptive father avoided him after that point. Without realizing himself, Kazuto had put a wall between himself and everyone in his family.

He practiced kendo more fiercely, much to his grandpa's surprise. It was Kazuto's way of releasing his stress. After two more years, Kazuto had realized that he truly hated Kendo. The only time he picked a blade was when he couldn't control his anger. He quit kendo after, and his bond with his grandpa and Suguha suffered too. It was easy to notice Suguha's distress, but it was harder for Kazuto to approach her. Even to the present day, Suguha didn't know that he was an adopted child.

In school, Kazuto wasn't the popular student nor the bullied student. He was just the guy who nobody really paid attention too. Kazuto didn't mind that. He wasn't lonely, as he had his few friends he played with at school. He wasn't the type of person who hid in a shell, but he also wasn't the type that reached out towards others. He took the middle ground, accepting those who asked him to be their friends, but never asking others to be his.

The best form of joy appeared in the form of games for Kazuto. At this moment in time, Kazuto now spent almost every hour in his room when he was at the house. Gaming was liberating for him. He first experienced a variety of games, from fighting games to shooting games, before his eyes landed on a old school MMORPG.

It was different from other games, which focused on advancing the story. The experience was refreshing, as he invested so much time on improving a single character. Hundreds of hours were stacked on his character, and his heart filled with pride as he saw the strength of his avatar. MMORPGs quickly became his favorite genre, playing multiple other titles. When he had heard that the MMORPG was advancing into virtual reality, he had taken his chances at participating in the beta, which would eventually lead to this mess…

At the rate that they were clearing the game, it would take around four years to clear all 100 floors of Aincrad. Did Suguha still care about him? Were his adoptive parents sad about his absence? If he managed to get out of this mess… No, when he got out of this mess, he would greet his family and try to reconnect with them. He would repay the 17 years they spent raising him.

Kirito was so concentrated in his thoughts that he didn't notice the two hands that were shaking him. He looked up in surprise, silently thanking Diabel for unintentionally breaking him out of his melancholy thoughts.

"Let's go, I'll brief you on the way." Diabel said, and Kirito rose from his seat to follow. As Kirito looked around, he couldn't help but stare in surprise as he saw the number of players that were participating in the boss fight. It easily surpassed the previous amount of players. He slightly frowned when he didn't spot a red hood. Guess Asuna wasn't participating in this fight.

"81 players that are at least level 8. Great isn't it?" Diabel asked. It was miniscule when considering that there were 20,000 players trapped. Yet, the increase in numbers filled Kirito's heart with confidence and determination. The huddled group of players left _**[Urbus]**_ , and journeyed their way to the **[[Boss Room]]**.

"First phase, we'll split into two groups. The first group will consist of 60 players, while the second group consists of the other 21 players. The first group will focus on killing **[Nato the Colonel Taurus]** , while the second group focuses on holding off **[Baran the General Taurus]**." Kirito raised his eyebrows as Diabel smiled.

"Our plan on creating classes, it worked. Almost no one in the _**[City of Beginnings]**_ knows, but every player here does. The people who are going to hold off Baran, they're players who are tanks." Kirito smiled back as he absorbed the information. It was a small step, but a welcomed step.

The group arrived to a familiar designed door. For a moment, muffled noises could be heard, as the players were all taking deep breaths to prepare. Diabel checked the players, opening the doors once he confirmed that everyone was ready.

The players flooded inside the room, and they all sweated as they saw the two towering figures inside the room. The room was delicately designed, having multiple decorations made of stone. It contrasted the design of the savannah floor. There was a large circular design in the middle of the room. The two bosses were huddled around it.

"Go as proceeded! Tanks, hold off the **[Baran the General Taurus]** for us!" The bosses turned their head around, curious about the loud noises. The two bosses turned around, allowing the players to get a full view.

 **[Nato the Colonel Taurus]** had blue skin, with jet black horns that glistened in the air. Baran had contrasting red skin and white horns. Just by appearance, Kirito could tell that Baran was the stronger of the two. Multiple scars ran across the skin of Baran, and there were multiple ornaments that decorated him.

Heavy clunks were heard as the heavily armored players moved forward to intercept the movement of **[Baran the General Taurus]**. The rest of the players tried their best to garner the attention of Nato. They let out a momentary cheer when their plan succeeded. The bosses were now in the opposite ends of the room.

Kirito followed the movement of the other players. Attacking Nato from all the different directions. Kirito grinned as he saw the health bar of **[Nato the Colonel Taurus]** melt from the attacks. It was a great idea to set a minimum level, as the fruit of all the player's efforts came into effect. Kirito glanced towards the second group, and sighed in relief as he saw that their health bars were still near full.

Nato had three health bars, and they were decreasing rapidly. The boss swung its two handed hammer with desperation, but the players moved with great coordination, dodging the attacks. Kirito thrusted his weapon repeatedly, creating red gashes on the legs of the boss. The players cheered as Nato was defeated moments later.

The group focused on **[Baron the General Taurus]** , proceeding to continue the strategy. The red taurus roared, slamming the hammer down towards the players. The players dodged, but they cried out in surprise as yellow bolts erupted from the ground. The bolts reached players that were nowhere near the hammer strike.

"I'm **[[Stunned]]**!" Multiple players voiced out the status effect that they were under. Kirito gritted his teeth as he slashed at the taurus's back. It was a new status effect that he didn't hear of previously. The closest experience he had to being **[[Stunned]]** was when he fought the **[Night Giant]** on the first floor. However, he was blown away from the impact. The status effect applied by the taurus was registered in the game system, meaning that it was more devastating.

 **[Baron the General Taurus]** raised his hammer again, causing electrical shocks to form. The boss slammed it in Kirito's direction, and the yellow bolts pulsed through the battlefield again. Kirito yelled in surprise as one of the bolts hit him. Seriously, what was the range of the attack?

He glanced upwards to his health bar, and noticed that he was under the effects of **[Stun]**. He quickly read the effects of the effect.

 **« Stun »**

 **« Cause: Numbing Detonation »**

 **« All movement restricted for: 3 seconds »**

He quickly noted the information, understanding the mechanics behind the status effect. The duration varied depending on the attack. The boss's attack, **«Numbing Detonation»** , was a large area of effect attack that applied **[Stun]** for three seconds.

Kirito clenched his fists hard as he saw the boss repeat the attack again. A thunderous roar entered his ears, and he could see the bolts moving towards him.

'Move, move move move move!' Kirito echoed in his head. The bolts did some heavy damage, but the lethal part of the attack was the possibility of a chain stun. Luckily, he was far away from the impact point, meaning that the bolts had more travel time. He jerked his body back the moment he could register movement. He gasped in relief as he avoided the attack.

His relief was cut short as he heard the cries of the more unfortunate players. Kirito's eyes widened as he saw the status effect change.

 **[Paralysis]** was floating around the players. Kirito dodged a basic swing from the boss, trying to understand how the players got the effect. Was it because they were hit by the bolts when they were already **[Stunned]**? It made sense. Players cried in fear as they couldn't move their bodies.

"Hurry! Drag them out of the fight!" Dammit! Lack of information was condemning them again! They didn't know what cured **[Paralysis]**. The players could be **[Paralyzed]** for the entire duration of the boss fight because of it. His comrades ran towards the **[Paralyzed]** players, pulling them away from the battlefield.

Fear pulsated through Kirito's veins as he saw **[Baron the General Taurus]** aim another **«Numbing Detonation»** towards the retreating players. If more players got **[Paralysis]** , then the fight was going to be harder. The players would also be stuck wide in the open, unable to defend or dodge from the attacks.

Sweat dripped down Kirito's forehead as he felt the pressure fall down on his shoulders. If he wanted to save them, he needed to either find the **[Critical Spot]** with one lucky hit, or take a risk and try to parry the attack using **«Critical parry»**. Kirito didn't even know if he could parry a skill. He would be putting his life at stake if he missed.

He bit on his tongue, sprinting forwards towards the landing point of the attack.

" **«Critical Parry»**!" Kirito shouted, his blade shining blue. He was able to test the skill multiple times, and was surprised to see that the skill, unlike the others, required only vocal activation. His arm was outstretched, and he felt his body vibrate as it made contact with the boss's hammer. He roared as he finished his swing, causing the taurus to lose balance.

His throat was sore, but Kirito let out a victorious roar, raising the morale of his comrades. They had stared in surprise at his attack. The lightning charged in the hammer dispersed weakly after Kirito parried the attack.

The players surrounded the fallen taurus, taking advantage of the opportunity. It was unfortunate that the boss wasn't **[[Vulnerable]]** , but they were happy with the opportunity as they were able to deal free damage. **[Baran the General Taurus]** had five health bars, and they were able to deplete four. The fight was looking good, as the **[[Paralyzed]]** players were all moved to safety.

The room began to shake violently the moment the fourth health bar was depleted. Everyone lost their balance. They moved their eyes around, trying to locate the source of the sound. A player suddenly started to stutter as he pointed a shaking finger towards the center of the room. The circular design in the room was shining brightly, and another massive figure was coming out from it.

Kirito's arms hung loosely near the side of his body as he saw the full figure emerge.

 **[Asterius the Taurus King]**. 6 health bars. This wasn't a two-boss fight. It was a goddamn three-boss fight.

 _ **X-Sword Art Online:Realization-X**_

* * *

 **Afternote**

 **Whew! I originally planned to put the entire boss fight in the next chapter, as the chapter was getting long, but I chose to include it in this one.**


	7. Chapter 6 - Hunting

**Author's Note**

 **I'm sorry for the late update, but this chapter was a pure nightmare for me to write. If you have read the progressive novel before, you'll know about the whole night elf vs. elf arc. As I've said previously, I didn't want this to be a story that tells the events that happen in SAO again. I want to have originality and thinking of a entirely new storyline was impossible for me considering that my brain is completely fried from college exams.**

 **I know I'm not exactly the greatest mind when it comes to math and science but HOLY SHIT I thought I could hold my own. After realizing that I scored pretty low during the last exams, (which the results came out in April) I just focused on my grades which is why I couldn't update on this story.**

 **If there's any mistakes in grammar, I apologize, I reread my chapters many times but I'm just seriously tired. I'm a Korean, (For those of you who don't know) so with the combined fact of carrying all my shit to Korea for summer break and adapting to the time zone, I'm very burnt out right now.**

 **Enough with my whining, I apologize once again for the late update, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

 **[Text] - In-game item or monster names**

 **[[Text]] - SAO terms**

 **«Text» - Game menu text or skill names**

 _ **[Text]**_ **\- In-game locations**

* * *

 _ **X-Sword Art Online:Realization-X**_

Everyone stared in fear at the black skin of **[Asterius the Taurus King]**. They yelled helpless cries as they saw the six healthbars. The boss had six horns compared to two. The weapon of the boss was another giant hammer, except the one he wielded was almost twice as large as the others. A large iron crown rested on top of its head, and it walked slowly towards the players.

"Finish **[Baron the General Taurus]** first! We'll focus the last boss together after!" Diabel yelled out towards the players. Kirito broke out of his surprised state, and joined the others in attacking the red boss. As they attacked the boss, a sound similar to that of a pin dropping echoed throughout the room.

A second later, a white beam tore into multiple players. The ground around them exploded due to the attack, and players were flung outwards. Kirito ran up to the players to help them retreat, and noticed that the breath attack from the taurus king caused **[Paralysis]** instantly. As he scanned the battlefield, he estimated that around 20 players were unable to battle due to **[Paralysis]** , leaving only 61 available fighters.

They needed to end the fight quickly. For every attack made, it would decrease the amount of players that were able to fight. He rushed towards **[Baron the General Taurus]** , attacking parts of the body that weren't covered by armor.

With the help of the other players, they were able to bring down the boss, leaving only the Taurus King. Every fighter huddled around the Taurus King, attacking the boss. In response to the incoming attacks, **[Asterius the Taurus King]** began to open his mouth, and a white ball of energy started to form. The boss unleashed the attack, spinning around to attack multiple players.

The attack left more players **[Paralyzed]** , and Kirito glanced at the health bar of the boss. They were able to deplete only one health bar. As he swung his weapon, Kirito tried to search for the possible locations for the boss's **[[Critical Spot]]**. Considering the boss's towering height, it wouldn't have been much of a surprise if the weakness was the eyes.

Attempting to take another risk, Kirito ran towards the side of the boss, trying to get to the boss's blind side. He bided his time, waiting for the opportunity to strike at the eyes. His time came when the boss raised its gigantic hammer. The boss slammed it down towards the ground, and Kirito launched his **«Explosive Charge»**. He tilted his body upwards, and felt his body rocket vertically. He pushed his sword forward in an attempt to stab the eye, but gasped in frustration as the boss lowered its head. Kirito cursed as his attack was aiming towards the horn instead now.

"What!?" He was flabbergasted as his attack made contact with the horn. A message that read **[[Break]]** appeared near the Boss's head. The horns of the Taurus King broke off from the attack, and the boss kneeled as it became **[[Vulnerable]]**. The horns were the **[[Critical Spot]]**? It was purely a lucky shot, as Kirito would have never guessed the horns to be the weak spot.

He braced himself for the landing, grunting as he hit the floor. He performed a small roll to reduce the impact of landing. He turned around after, blade glowing as he performed **«Reinforced Slash»**. Yells of surprise resounded when they saw one of the health bars decrease by almost half. Kirito allowed a grin to show in the heat of battle. His choice in **[[Skill Mod]]** was paying off.

The extreme advantage players gained when enemies were in their **[[Vulnerable]]** state payed off, as they were able to decrease the many health bars. The boss was still kneeling, and Kirito decided that the boss would never stand up again. He readied his strike, blade glowing as his skill was finally off cooldown.

" **«Reinforced Slash»**!" His attack cut through the boss, and **[Asterius the Taurus King]** roared in pain before falling towards the ground. His body dispersed into the shining particles, causing Kirito's hair to ruffle in the wind.

 **« Congratulations, Asterius the Taurus King has been slain! »**

"Hell yeah!" A gruff voice yelled as players gathered around him. Kirito noticed it was Kibaou, and he joined the crowd in making sounds of awe as he saw a large black hammer materialize in Kibaou's hand.

" **[[Last Hit Bonus]]** baby!" The orange haired player spoke. Kirito was about to applaud before he saw his own notifications.

 **« Asterius the Taurus King Drops: »**

 **« 1128 Col »**

 **« 670 Exp »**

 **« Last Hit Bonus! »**

 **« 1x Iron Crown of the Taurus »**

 **« Break Bonus! »**

 **« Asterius's White Horn »**

The Col and Exp reward was split between all 81 players that participated in the fight. However, the three bosses allowed each of the players to still receive a hefty amount. The only boss that had a crown was Asterius, so it meant that he got the **[[Last Hit bonus]]**. His eyes lit up in realization as it was most likely that each of the three bosses had their own **[[Last Hit Bonus]]**.

He opened up the description of the crown with expectation. It was the crown that represented complete power over the Taurus. Would he get some kind of special authority? Maybe he would be able to control the oxen? His eyes widened with greed. The crown was rare too, having a blue background.

 **« Iron Crown of the Taurus »**

 **« A crown made from raw iron. A unknown stone is embedded in the center. The taurus that »**

 **« has the crown placed upon its head becomes recognized as king by the others. »**

 **« Required Stats to Equip »**

 **« Level Requirement: None »**

 **« All other stats: None »**

 **« This item has no scaling »**

 **« ATU Slots: 0 »**

 **« Required material to Upgrade to Iron Crown of the Taurus +1 »**

 **« Cannot be upgraded »**

 **« Weight: 23.7 »**

Black eyebrows twitched furiously as Kirito read the description of the item. The item was quite literally dead weight. It provided no stats, nor did the item give any hidden bonuses. The item only caused the holder problems, as the weight of the item was higher than most weapons in the game so far. Kirito slapped his forehead, choosing to concentrate on the other item instead.

 **[Asterius's White Horn]** was no doubt obtained because Kirito had broken off the horns. Kirito examined the item, having hope.

 **« Asterius's White Horn »**

 **« A beautiful horn that is surprisingly brittle. The horn is rumored to have special properties. »**

 **« Weight: 1.3 »**

Kirito groaned as the item was something that might hold value. He closed all the descriptions, heading back towards _**[Urbus]**_. His adrenaline was wearing off, and he felt ridiculously tired. He found the closest inn available, and spent the rest of the day sleeping.

 _ **X-Sword Art Online:Realization-X**_

* * *

Kirito had woken up the next morning, sleeping a grand total of 16 hours. He felt refreshed. As soon as he had woken up, Kirito had materialized **[Iron Crown of the Taurus]**. He wrote the item off as useless, but he wanted to see the mysterious stone that was embedded in it. His body lurched in surprise as the crown landed on his hand. The crown was heavy, and his body had rocked forward because of the weight.

He turned the crown around, finding the front. He squinted his eyes as he saw the stone. His face frowned, as Kirito felt that he had seen the black stone somewhere before…

"The **[Core of the Night]**!" Kirito exclaimed. He materialized the item next to the crown, comparing the two items. There was no doubt about it. The black stone embedded inside the crown was another **[Core of the Night]**. Was the rarity of the crown because of the stone? It made sense, as the independent stone was a rare item itself.

A thought formed in Kirito's mind. Without a doubt, his plan would work, and he headed straight towards the **[[Blacksmith]]** in the _**[City of Beginnings]**_. As he arrived, he gave the item to the NPC, asking to melt the iron from it.

His grin widened as the **[[Blacksmith]]** accepted his request. Kirito watched closely as he saw the large amounts of iron melt. The melted iron was collected into a holder. As the iron in the crown all melted, only the black stone was left. The NPC handed the items too Kirito, and Kirito handed Col to the NPC for the quick work.

 **« Iron Crown of the Taurus has been dismantled! »**

 **« You have gained the following: »**

 **« 10x Iron Ingots »**

 **« 1x Core of the Night »**

"10 **[Iron Ingots]**?" Kirito exclaimed in surprise as he saw the number of ingots he got. The amount was expected, as the crown was made for a taurus. It also explained why a crown weighed so much. Still, the number made him happy. He had never seen the metal from any mines yet. He could use the **[Iron Ingots]** to raise the durability of his **[Anneal Blade]**.

He wanted to do that now, but he chose not to, as he was about to head towards the third floor. He waited because of the chance that there might be a better NPC **[[Blacksmith]]** there. If they had found the **[[Blacksmith]] [[Lifestyle]]** , then he would wait until there was a player **[[Blacksmith]]**. He traveled down the streets of the first city, smiling as he saw more people celebrate the clearing of the second floor.

His heart filled with determination as he saw the faces of those people.

Kirito headed towards the teleporter, and chose to travel to the third floor. It seemed that some players had already found the main city on the floor. The bright flash of light enveloped him, and he felt the slight dizzy feeling that accompanied players when they traveled.

He winced as he heard multiple loud noises enter his ears. He opened his eyes in confusion, checking his vicinity. His eyes widened at the sight that welcomed him. If Kirito had to describe the _**[City of Beginnings]**_ , he would describe at busy, but a place that mostly simple civilians lived. The floor was covered with small farms that were spread throughout the floor.

While the main city did have restaurants and some stores, it was still quiet, as it was a simple city filled mostly with basic NPCs that had no real jobs. The current city he was in, _**[Aprendale]**_ , could be described in one word.

Thriving.

Vast amounts of shops were lined up in one aisle, and Kirito inspected the contents of each store. There were multiple stores that sold simply just weapons, with others that sold clothes, ranging from casual wear to battle attire. The aisle extended far beyond, and Kirito could not see the end. He walked towards the next block, curious about the city.

He stood in the heart of the city plaza. Around him were now restaurants that served different dishes to the players and NPCs. Simply put, the city was a shoppers paradise. Kirito spent the next hour wandering the city, discovering that the city sold literally everything.

The city accommodated players of all level, as there existed different stores with different price ranges. The stores were lined up to a single architectural building that lined the protective wall of the city. The buildings were made out of stone and wood, and it looked like a medieval metropolis.

What caught his eyes the most was the city hall. Near the city plaza, there was a building that towered over the others. The tower had a large clock attached in the front, and a bell rested on top. Details were carved meticulously on every inch.

Curious about the interior, Kirito stepped inside the building, pushing the heavy doors aside as he did so. His mouth parted in awe as his eyes absorbed the surrounding. It was almost like a banquet inside. Paintings were lined up in the walls as large pots that held flowers decorated the floor. NPCs stood behind a large wooden counter that exuberated the smell of aging wood. Kirito approached the NPC and initiated the conversation. They exchanged some words, before Kirito's eyes widened.

"Can I make a guild right now?" He asked desperately, hoping to hear the answer. The creation of guilds would help information travel across the lands faster. His hopes were crushed as the NPC told him the answer.

"You can submit the request and pay the appropriate amount of money, but the request won't be looked over until the city mayor comes back." Kirito tapped his knuckles on the wooden desk in frustration. Of course it wouldn't be this easy.

"When do you think the mayor will come back?" Kirito asked.

"Honestly, we're surprised that he hadn't returned yet. He was supposed to come back a few days ago." A light glinted in Kirito's eyes. This was no doubt a quest that was yet to be discovered. The mayor would be stuck somewhere, and they would have to bring him back somehow. Kirito ended the conversation and headed out of the city. It was time for some exploration.

The environment was similar to that of the first floor. There were a variety of vegetation, and trees were plentiful. When Kirito looked towards the ground, he noticed stone tiles. The city was rich enough to create their own stone road. Deciding to explore the eastern part of the floor first, Kirito headed off the road. He kept his map open, filling the dark spaces as he traveled deep into the woods.

Kirito hid himself behind one of the trees as he heard a small roar. He peeked out, noticing one of the monsters on the floor. It was a brown bear. Kirito moved around the forest in caution, unsheathing his **[Anneal Blade]** as he approached the bear. He jumped out of his cover, attacking the bear. Much to his surprise, the bear turned and ran away, instead of fighting him. His eyes were open with puzzlement.

Two hands suddenly grabbed him, and he flailed his arms to escape the sudden hold. One hand covered his mouth, while the other pushed his body into the tree trunk. His eyes were wide open as he got full view of his random assailant.

'An NPC?' Kirito thought. The mysterious person had no green crystal on top of their heads, meaning that it was an NPC.

"What were you doing, ruining my hard work like that!" The NPC hissed at him, and Kirito stared dumbly at the NPC. As he looked at the clothing of the NPC, Kirito understood what the NPC meant. Most likely, the NPC was a hunter. She was wearing green clothing in an attempt to camouflage. Green paint covered her cheeks, and the hunter was wielding a large sword.

"I spent days tracking that thing! You owe me adventurer!" She yelled at him, and Kirito sighed as he read the window in front of him.

 **« Hunt for the Wild Bear: Will you accept this quest? »**

 **« Yes/No »**

It was just an NPC, but Kirito felt indebted to the female hunter. He accepted the quest, and the hunter marched on further into the forest. Kirito was directly behind her, and he stared curiously at the hunter's next actions.

"You see these trails? It seems that the bear is heading towards the north." She said, causing Kirito to stare intently at the ground. He scratched his head as he didn't see anything. Well, she was the hunter, so Kirito nodded his head. The two of them followed the 'trail', and Kirito tensed as he saw the hunter kneel down close to the ground.

"The bear is right there, make sure you move slowly without making a sound." He stared in surprise as he watched the hunter move nimbly, not causing a single sound as her feet made contact with leaves and fallen branches. Kirito proceeded to try the same. He winced as he cracked a branch with his foot, causing the bear to be overcome with caution. Kirito smiled hesitantly as he saw the glare the NPC was giving him. Did all females just hate him?

Kirito focused on the floor, stepping on places that had no debris. They closed the distance on the bear, and the hunter signalled Kirito to attack. Kirito jumped out from the cover of the trees, and attacked the bear multiple times. The **[Wild Brown Bear]** was slain after a few attacks.

"Why isn't the bear disappearing?" Kirito wondered out loud. It was unusual, as monsters usually dispersed immediately after they were slain. The body of the bear was still lying on the floor. He stared at the hunter that walked towards the bear, taking out a small knife. The knife glowed, and the hunter NPC tapped the bear's body. Kirito stared in amazement as the body disappeared, leaving only a small pouch behind.

The NPC picked up the pouch, and a notification showed up, signalling the completion of the quest.

 **« You have acquired the following for completing the following quest: »**

 **« Hunting the Wild Brown Bear »**

 **« 253 Col »**

 **« 230 Exp »**

 **« 1x Weathered Small Knife »**

"Have the knife, it'll help a beginner like you." Kirito raised his eyebrows in confusion, not understanding what the NPC was saying. His question was answered as another notification appeared.

 **« You have unlocked a new lifestyle! »**

 **« Lifestyle: Hunting »**

 **« Congratulations, your Hunting is now Level 2! »**

 **« You have learned: Mark Target! »**

 **« You have learned: Tracking! »**

 **« You have learned: Stealth Walk! »**

 **« You have learned: Hiding! »**

 **« You have learned: Scavenge! »**

Kirito hummed in interest as he learned the new skills. Once he reached a safe and private location, he would review each skill carefully to understand their functions. For now, he would continue to map out locations. He parted with the female hunter, walking further east. He spent the entire morning and afternoon walking east, discovering minor quests and monsters. He completed as many quests as he could, slaying few monsters that were in his path.

As the day neared the night, Kirito headed back to _**[Aprendale]**_. His mouth was watering, as he decided to eat at one of the restaurants. He walked down the walkway, eyeing every individual restaurant. He gulped many times to swallow the building saliva. Kirito steeled his will, heading inside a restaurant that had a cow statue in the front.

A NPC waitress greeted him, sitting him down to a table. She handed him a menu, and Kirito picked it up, opening it to see the food. He licked his lips in anticipation as he read the descriptions. He flinched a little at the price, but he needed the steak.

 **« Aprendale Onion Steak »**

 **« A steak covered with diced onions. Aprendale's secret sauce coats the meat. The meat »**

 **« is selected from only the most quality, domesticated cows on Urbus. »**

 **« Cost: 740 Col »**

 **« Will you buy this? »**

 **« Yes/No »**

He had Col to spare for this! He aggressively accepted the trade, not even blinking once as he saw the Col get deducted from his inventory. A few minutes passed before the dish appeared in front of him.

"Oh my lord…" Kirio took a sniff of the steak, reeling back in delight at the smell. He spread out his napkin across his lap, picked up his knife and fork, carefully cutting at the expensive meat in front of him.

"I'm sorry cows." Kirito proclaimed as he cut a large piece. He turned his fork around, pushing it towards his mouth. He ate the meat, chewing it slowly. He roared with the greatest of happiness as the flavors dance across his mouth. The texture, the taste, everything resembled meat of the real world. He spent three weeks eating bread, and the meat was a godsend to him. At this moment, Kirito decided that he would grant himself special privilege to eat at restaurants every once in awhile.

He devoured the meal instantly as he was unable to hold back his carnivorous desires. He leaned back into his chair, burping and rubbing his stomach in content. He finished his glass of water, and walked outside of the restaurant.

With a satisfactory dinner, Kirito headed towards the many inns to rest in. He ventured through many aisles, entering every single inn he could find. His good mood quickly disappeared as he saw the rates of the inns. One night costed near 2000 Col, a price that required almost a full day or two of grinding. The most expensive inns at the first floor costed around 150 Col.

Kirito sighed as he went to teleport to the first floor. He preferred the first floor, as the quality of the inns didn't change much at the second floor. He wanted to try out the inns at _**[Aprendale]**_ , if only to see just the quality of the inn. Once Kirito had settled himself in a room at a inn, he opened his menu to see the new equipment and skills he got from the earlier quest.

 **« Weathered Small Knife »**

 **« A small knife damaged by poor conditioning. »**

 **« Required Stats to Equip »**

 **« Level Requirement: Level 3 »**

 **« STR: 5 »**

 **« Required material to Upgrade to Weathered Small Knife +1 »**

 **« 1x Boartusk »**

 **« Weight: 1.2 »**

 **« Damage: 5 »**

Kirito had expected the item to be bad, as the name clearly described the poor condition the item was in. He would most likely sell the item off for pocket change. He exited his item window, navigating to the **[[Lifestyle]]** menu. He found **[[Hunting]]** , and proceeded to check out the multiple skill descriptions.

 **« Mark Target »**

 **« The player marks a target that is in the player's range of sight. If the target is marked, then »**

 **« the player gets additional bonuses on certain other skills. »**

The individual skill itself seemed weak, serving no real purpose. Kirito read through the next skill.

 **« Tracking »**

 **« A skill that allows the player to see the hidden tracks of other living things once activated. » « The player sees the tracks of a marked target more clearly than the rest. »**

"Other living things?" Kirito pondered out loud. Kirito thought **[[Hunting]]** skills were only able to be used on monsters. The vague description of living things made him wonder. Could he track the marks of other NPCs or players? He dismissed the thought, planning on using the skill later on someone for testing purposes. He nodded his head as he read the bonus the skill obtained when using it on a marked target. Again, he would need to experience on the skill to know what exactly the description.

 **« Stealth Walk »**

 **« A practiced walk that decreases the sounds produced by a player's footsteps. »**

He remembered the hunter NPC's quiet walk. Most likely, the NPC had been using that skill. He went on towards the next skill as he understood clearly what the walking skill did.

 **« Hiding »**

 **« A skill that helps the player hide their presence from other living things. Skill can only be »**

 **« activated when the player is already hiding behind some form of cover. »**

He clenched his teeth as the words 'other living things' appeared again.

 **« Scavenge »**

 **« A skill that can only be used on a dead and marked target. The skill causes the player to »**

 **« collect as much as they can from the dead target. »**

 **« Scavenge requires a knife or a dagger to activate. »**

"So that's why the quest gave me the small knife." Kirito said in understanding. It made sense as to why the dead bear earlier in the day didn't disappear after its death. Because the NPC had marked the bear, the NPC was allowed to use **«Scavenge»**. The bear had turned into a item pouch, and Kirito could guess the items that were inside. It was most likely items that referred to the bear's materials, such as its coat or its claws.

It was a good skill if it did what Kirito expected it to do. It meant that he would be able to gather materials at a faster rate, ending in more overall yield. He would be able to sell monster drops that he didn't need, allowing him to gain more Col. He would then be able to eat more at the restaurants…

No! Kirito slapped himself. His thoughts were wandering into dangerous territory. He plopped himself deep into the bed of the inn. Tomorrow, he would experiment on using his new found skills, while exploring more of the floor. He closed his eyes, welcoming the sleep.

 _ **X-Sword Art Online:Realization-X**_

* * *

Right after he had woken up, Kirito had headed straight towards the forest. He trudged down the dense forest, eating a **[Bread Loaf]** as he walked. He yawned, tired from waking up early. Kirito was looking for a specific kind of monster. The monster needed to be one that moved around frequently. Most monsters that Kirito found were stationary.

His eyes landed on a abnormally large raccoon. The raccoon was almost as large as a deer. The creature picked up debris on the ground, examining the object before dropping it. It repeated this action multiple times, steadily walking as it did so. Kirito took the opportunity, and stared at the raccoon.

" **«Mark Target»**!" Kirito raised his eyebrows in confusion, as nothing happened. He repeated the action multiple times, scratching his head. He continually stared at the raccoon, hoping for something to happen. The raccoon was slowly moving away, and Kirito followed it from a safe distance. Finally, a small message popped up in front of him.

 **« You have marked: Elephantine Raccoon! »**

When Kirito looked towards the **[Elephantine Raccoon]** , he noticed that the name was now written in yellow text, instead of the usual white. Without a doubt, the skill required time to successfully mark a target. The player needed to have the target in sight for a long duration for the skill the activate. Kirito remained in his current position, waiting for the raccoon to disappear.

After around 10 minutes, Kirito stood up and decided to use **«Tracking»**. His eyes widened as he saw new information enter his eyes. Kirito stared at the ground, spotting multiple shapes. The shapes were the footprints of the different monsters, and the shapes all lit in different brightness levels. Kirito understood what the bonus he obtained from marking the target did.

Most likely, the brightness level of the footprint indicated time. The brighter footprints meant that the track of trails was made recently, while the faded footprints indicated that the trail was made long ago. While all of the other footprints shone in a bright white, there was trail of footprints that shined red. If a player used **«Mark Target»** , then the trails would shine in a distinct color, allowing the player to track the target.

His boots lit up in a light blue as he used **«Stealth Walk»** next. Similar to the NPC he met yesterday, his steps were causing less sound. As he used the skill, Kirito realized that there was a new bar under his health bar. The blue bar was decreasing as he walked forward each time. When he stood still, the bar slowly recharged.

"Does this bar indicate the duration?" Kirito whispered with curiosity. It was logical. The skill would be quite powerful if he could have it on forever. He deactivated the skill, following the red footprints that the **[Elephantine Raccoon]** left behind. The raccoon eventually entered his sight as he followed the trail. He crouched down, activating **«Stealth Walk»**.

He slowly approached the raccoon as he held his breath. Once Kirito was in striking distance, he leaped out of the bush, attacking the raccoon from behind. His attack landed, and the **[Elephantine Raccoon]** bared its fangs at him. Kirito shivered at the sight. He thought racoons were cute.

Kirito took a step forward, and slashed vertically as the raccoon jumped straight at him. He traded blows with the monster, but ultimately won as the raccoon fell down towards the floor. Kirito planted his sword into the raccoon's throat, delivering the finishing blow. The monster went limp, and Kirito took out his **[Weathered Small Knife]** , watching the blade shine as he activated **«Scavenge»**.

The body of the raccoon turned into a small item pouch. Kirito picked up the pouch, identifying what he got as a result of his hunt.

 **« Scavenge yielded in: »**

 **« 1x Poorly Skinned Raccoon Coat »**

 **« 1x Elephantine Raccoon Tail »**

A separate window displayed the Col and Exp he obtained. The quality of the extra drops he gained from **«Scavenge»** would depend on the level of the skill. He experimented more with the skills, discovering that he was quite lucky with his first hunt.

Because of just obtaining the skills, Kirito was not able to level the skills. When he activated some of them, such as **«Stealth Walk»** , monsters could still notice him. So far, his **«Tracking»** skill only allowed him to follow the trails of a monster which left the trail an hour ago. Once an hour passed, the trails disappeared, leaving him lost in the forest.

The skills of a **[[Lifestyle]]** were much more beneficial than he had initially thought. Although hunting a single target was inefficient in terms of farming for Exp, a single kill would most likely result in a higher yield of Col once his **«Scavenge»** was high level. Kirito wasn't sure if he would invest in a lot of time on using **[[Hunting]]** , as it took a long while to kill a single monster. This death game required players to be at the highest possible level, and Kirito could sacrifice Col gain in exchange for more Exp.

Satisfied with the results of his experiments, he headed deeper into the forest. As he walked forward, he ended up discovering a small outpost. As he looked at his map, he learned that the outpost was called _**[Thanis]**_. From a single glance, Kirito could tell that the outpost focused on mining. Carts carried copious amounts of ore and rocks. Beyond the outpost was a medium sized hill. It seemed that the mining operations took place in the hill.

Kirito walked down the busy streets, noticing a bazaar. When Kirito looked through the contents of the store, his eyes widened pleasantly as the store sold ores formed of stone, bronze, and iron. If he ran out of his **[Iron Ingots]** , he could buy the materials here. The store also sold pickaxes, making Kirito think.

His eyes lit up in realization at a certain thought. If the hills here held iron deposits, then he could mine the ore for himself. It was a free opportunity to get expensive materials without spending any money. The problem was, his pickaxe was made of bronze, which was weaker than silver.

 **« Iron Pickaxe »**

 **« A sturdy pickaxe that has a smooth wooden handle. »**

 **« Required Stats to Equip »**

 **« Level Requirement: Level 6 »**

 **« STR: 10 »**

 **« Durability: 120/120 »**

 **« Weight: 8.7 »**

 **« Hardness: 21 »**

 **« Cost: 1550 Col »**

 **« Will you purchase this item? »**

 **« Yes/No »**

Kirito opened up his **[Bronze Pickaxe]** , searching for a stat that read **[[Hardness]]**. As he looked through, he noticed that his pickaxes only had a **[[Hardness]]** of 15. Most likely, the stat had to do with the metal the pickaxe was made with. The higher the number, the better ores it could mine.

He had spent 800 Col on the steak yesterday, but he still had around 1200 Col left. He sold materials that he didn't need, making up for the 350 Col. He purchased the item, whistling happily as he neared the mines. Kirito frowned when he saw the entrance barricaded. His eyes widened as he looked carefully around. Around the city, there were guards stationed.

It was normal to have a city guarded, as monsters could trespass into the territory. But to have this many guards? Kirito knew something was wrong. He approached the NPC soldiers that surrounded the city.

"Who do they think they are? It's clear that we claimed these lands first."

"As if we'll let them trespass without any consequences."

Kirito overheard some of the dialogue as he neared them. Based on the small bits he just heard, it seemed that there was some conflict going on.

"Sir is there a problem?" Kirito asked the nearest soldier. The soldiers turned to face him.

"The dwarves are causing problems for us. We claimed these grounds first, but a small bunch of them are stationed at the opposite side of the forest. They created their own mines. They are stealing what is rightfully ours! Adventurer, would you help us get rid of the nuisances?" The soldier asked hopefully.

 **« Conflict at the Mining Grounds: Will you accept this quest? »**

 **« Quest Difficulty: Rank F »**

 **« Yes/No »**

"Rank F? What the hell?" Kirito whispered as he eyed the difficulty. Had had completed many quests so far, and none of them had given him a difficulty level. In fact, having no difficulty level made players hesitate to accept every single quest. So why was there a difficulty level now? Were the other quests so easy that they didn't even get ranked on the difficulty scale?

Slight hesitation filled him, but he pressed on forward, accepting the quest. The soldiers shook hands with Kirito after, and one of the soldiers headed inside a building. A moment, later he reappeared in front of Kirito, handing him a large item.

 **« You have acquired: Basic Camping Set! »**

 **« Contains the following items: »**

 **« 1x Tent »**

 **« 1x Sleeping Bag »**

 **« 1x Oil Lantern »**

"Camping set?" Kirito sighed, understanding that the quest would take multiple days. The soldiers moved on forward, signalling the start of the quest. Kirito followed the soldiers silently as they trekked over the hills. Kirito breathed heavily as they traveled. This wasn't a hill, it was a mountain!

"Do you see those dirty dwarves? Adventurer, can you help clear the few scouts?" They had arrived to the top of one of the hills, and the soldier was currently pointing to a faraway distance. Kirito squinted his eyes, trying to see. He saw the two dwarves that the soldier was indicating. Kirito nodded, making his way through the forest to attack his targets.

He activated his **«Stealth Walk»** , navigating his way around. He walked up towards the two dwarves that were scouting the vicinity. He attacked the first dwarf, causing the man to cry out in surprise. The other scout turned around, pulling out a iron axe from his belt. Kirito stepped back as the dwarf swung, retaliating immediately after. His attack landed across the chest of the dwarf, and the spot was turned red by the game's indicator.

The two **[Scout Dwarf]** swung their axes multiple times, and Kirito dodged the attacks. His opportunity to attack was reduced as the two dwarves made him turn more to defense. Knowing that he still had the upperhand in the fight, Kirito slashed his sword downward towards the weaker scout, eventually causing the dwarf to disperse into bright particles.

From here on out the fight was easy, and Kirito made quick work of the remaining scout.

 **« Scout Dwarf drops: »**

 **« 390 Col »**

 **« 187 Exp »**

 **« 1x Iron Axe »**

Kirito hummed in appreciation at the drop. The axe was a new type of weapon that they didn't find in the game yet, so it was another opportunity to add towards the class list. It seemed that attacking humanoid enemies resulted in better drops, as monsters only gave materials.

Kirito was greeted with clasps on the backs from the soldiers. The day was coming to a close, and the soldiers all built there tents. Kirito built his own, and watched the soldiers eat their field rations. He took advantage of this moment, and started the phase two experimentation with his **[[Hunting]]** skills.

" **«Mark Target»**." Kirito whispered as he locked onto one of the soldiers. The skill description read that he could mark a target, not specifying at all. Kirito didn't know if the target could only be a monster, or if the target could be a NPC or player. Time passed, and nothing appeared. He didn't know how long he locked his sights onto the soldier. The soldiers had finished their meal, indicating that around 30 minutes had passed.

Kirito was about to let out a sigh, before he choked on his breath. At the last moment, the notification appeared, making him freeze.

 **« You have marked: Thanis Guard! »**

He could mark NPCs? Could he use **«Scavenge»** on them too if he killed them? He shook his head, getting rid of the disturbing thought instantly. He snuggled himself deeper into the sleeping bag, trying to sleep. Kirito rolled around multiple times, unable to fall asleep.

Kirito instead decided to head out in the forest. Rather than to spend time trying to fall asleep, he would rather spend the time to gain some experience. Maybe the extra work would allow fatigue to arrive faster, making him sleep. He cleared the area of the mobs, wandering around the large hill that his camp was located at.

After killing a few more monsters, Kirito decided to try to sleep again. As he walked up the hill, he noticed a source of light off in the distance. He mentally calculated the distance. It would take about ten minutes to walk there. Letting out a sigh, Kirito headed towards the light.

Making sure to use his environment as cover, Kirito carefully approached the light. As he got closer, he realised that the light came from a small village outpost, similar to that of _**[Thanis]**_. Unlike the human outpost however, this place had a different race of NPCs.

Dwarves.

Alarms rang in his head. This was a camp for the enemies. He had slain two dwarves just hours ago. Kirito slowly stepped away from the village. His body flinched as he felt a large hand grab at his shoulder. Kirito instantly reached for his **[Anneal Blade]** at his waist to attack at the unknown object behind him.

"What are you doing here?" A gruff voice sounded out. Kirito felt his breath still. He continued to keep his hand at the handle of his weapon. He slowly turned around, noticing a dwarf. Questions were raised in his head, but Kirito dismissed them for now. The dwarf in front of him showed no signs of hostility.

"I was lost in the middle of the lands. I noticed a light source here, so I decided to check it out." Kirito replied hastily. Judging from the dialogue, the dwarf was an NPC that he could interact with. Whether the NPCs in this world could detect lies, Kirito had no clue. The dwarf huffed in response.

"Well adventurer, don't cause trouble for us." The dwarf responded. Kirito widened his eyes in surprise. He killed two dwarves earlier, but the dwarves in front of him weren't hostile towards him? Were there different kinds of dwarves? Kirito followed the dwarf into the village.

Once they stepped into the fire light, Kirito noticed the features of the dwarf in front of him. Kirito could tell that the dwarf was special in some way. The armor the dwarf wore was more decorated. There were precise cuts inside the armor.

In most fantasy worlds, whether in games or movies, dwarves had the stereotype of being skilled in forging and mining. It was almost a stereotype. It seemed that Sword Art Online followed this stereotype. The outpost was also focused for the sake of mining.

As Kirito glanced around, he realized that this was the location which the soldier NPCs were talking about. The dwarves must have made their base camp here, taking the grounds that the humans already claimed. Knowing now that these dwarves were his enemies, Kirito slowly backed away, heading back towards the camp. He felt that he would be able to sleep now.

Kirito woke up from one of the soldiers, as the soldier was rocking Kirito's body in an attempt to wake him up. Kirito forcefully obliged, wanting to complete the quest. They hurriedly packed the tents, moving on further.

"Adventurer, we will lure most of the dwarves away from the base. Please sabotage their base while you have the chance!" The lead soldier said as they walked forward. Again, Kirito nodded. Was this why the quest had a difficulty rank? The quest was split into different arcs. As the base reached their site, the group split up. Kirito headed towards the dwarven base.

"Coming to think about it, why don't the soldiers fight with me?" Kirito pondered loudly. He scowled at the thought. He waited at his position, waiting for the soldier's signal. From the distance, a loud battle cry could be heard. Kirito watched from his hiding spots, watching many dwarves leave the base. Kirito counted for a full minute, walking in towards the base after.

The plan was working as planned, as few dwarves were left in the camp. Many of them made loud noises, charging towards Kirito. Although the number of dwarves was few, it was not a smart idea to attack them all at once. His main goal was to destroy the base, So Kirito headed towards the campfire. He dashed, grabbing a flaming torch as he passed by.

He threw the torches into the wooden building of the dwarves, causing them to alight with fire. Kirito repeated the process, causing fire to as many buildings as he could. Heavy smoke rose from the destroyed buildings, and Kirito quickly retreated after his deed was done.

Part two of the quest was done, and Kirito headed back towards the soldiers location. His eyes twitched in frustration as he met the soldiers. None of the soldiers were injured. Kirito sighed, waiting for the final task.

"The dwarves already mined so much from our grounds! We will reclaim it! Adventurer, please proceed to the mines to get rid of the mining dwarves! We will hold back any dwarves that try to enter the mine." The plan sounded sketchy, but he had no choice. Kirito accepted, and the group headed back towards the direction of the dwarven base.

The soldiers nodded towards each other, and they charged into the city. Kirito sneaked away from the fight, heading inside the mine entrance. Once he arrived, he was filled with the sights of mining dwarves. Kirito noticed that the dwarves had no weapons. They were equipped only with a pickaxe. Although the pickaxes could be used as a weapon, the damage was significantly lower than that of a weapon.

Soon, all the dwarves were no more as Kirito attacked them. When his eyes focused onto the carts, a greedy and evil smile formed upon his face. These were all ores that he could take right now! He hungrily grabbed at some of the ores, before a loud coughing noise interrupted him.

Looking deeper into the mines, Kirito saw a dwarf roaring in anger. Kirito widened his eyes as he read the name of the enemy. With the name of **[Derig Irongrog]** ,It was a **[[Unique]]** enemy. It was probably the final trial of the quest. The dwarf was armed with a pickaxe, but changed it's weapon into two axes. It wielded one axe in each hand, rushing towards Kirito.

"Kuh!" A sound escaped his mouth as Kirito tried to dodge the attack. He dodged the first downswing from **[Derig Irongrog]**. Kirito hastily put his sword up to block the second downswing. He gritted at the force of the blow, watching his health decrease from the attack.

The dwarf leader continued his assault, marching forward as it swung with each arm. Kirito couldn't get in any attacks of his own. He was continually pushed back, and Kirito ducked as **[Derig Irongrog]** slammed one of his axes into the stone behind him.

Kirito's chance to attack arrived as the dwarf leader tried to pull out his axe from the stone. The leader's back was exposed, and Kirito thrusted his sword into the exposed spot multiple times. The dwarf swung backwards after a while, and kirito had to roll in order to dodge the attack.

Dust and rocks fell from the ceiling as the dwarf leader stuck his axe onto the stone wall again. Kirito yelled in surprise when a large rock dropped near his foot. He looked up, a plan forming in his head as he saw the falling rocks. His plan was dangerous, maybe even stupid, but it was worth a shot. He stuck close to the wall, trying to bait out horizontal attacks.

His plan was slowly working, as the attacks of **[Derig Irongrog]** hit the wall of the mines. After one more attack, Kirito stared up as he felt the ground shake. He was sweating a lot, as he was focused dodging the attacks. Kirito dove backwards as large amounts of rocks plummeted down towards them. Scrambling to his feet, Kirito ran towards the entrance of the mine.

With his current pace of running, he was going to get buried alive in the falling rocks. He didn't even look back as he heard the strangled noise of the dwarf leader. Kirito hung his sword over his head, readying a skill that saved his life multiple times already.

" **«Explosive Charge»**!" Kirito roared. He needed the acceleration boost the skill gave, and his body flew forwards as the skill activated. His teeth hurt from how tightly closed they were. A smile formed on his lips as he neared the light of the exit. His body rolled towards the ground, and his body was like a ragdoll as it rolled.

"Holy shit." Kirito muttered as he faced the sky, lying on the ground. His reward for winning the fight showed in front of him, and Kirito tiredly looked through his spoil.

 **« You have slain the unique enemy: Derig Irongrog! »**

 **« Derig Irongrog drops: »**

 **« 1090 Col »**

 **« 526 Exp »**

 **« 1x Dwarf Forge Iron Pickaxe »**

"Nice." Kirito said to no one in particular. He was tired, but was happy as the pickaxe he obtained was a rare blue written in red text. It was a rare **[[Unique]]** item similar to his **[Anneal Blade]**. At the current moment, Kirito felt that he deserved a legendary orange item for his effort. But of course the game wouldn't give a legendary item to him. He couldn't look at the specifics of his item as the soldiers helped him up.

"Thank you adventurer for you valor! We showed those dwarves a clear lesson. The people of Aincrad will rejoice as they hear of your bravery. Quick! Let us go back to _**[Thanis]**_ so that you can receive your reward." Kirito leaned on a soldier for support as they walked back towards the mining outpost. He took this opportunity to examine his pickaxe.

 **« Dwarf Forge Iron Pickaxe »**

 **« This special pickaxe allows the player to mine any ore 5% faster. »**

 **« Created by the blacksmiths of the dwarven race, the pickaxe is of much better quality. »**

 **« The axe was made for Derig Irongrog, who is known for his skill of mining. »**

 **« Required Stats to Equip »**

 **« Level Requirement: Level 9 »**

 **« STR: 18 »**

 **« Durability: 210/210 »**

 **« Weight: 13.8 »**

 **« Hardness: 56 »**

"And I just spent 1600 Col on a new pickaxe too…" Kirito sighed as they walked. He didn't expect the enemy to drop a rare item used only in a specific **[[Lifestyle]]**. He closed the window, sighing in satisfaction as they arrived to the village. The soldier then finished the dialogue, signalling the end of the quest.

 **« You have acquired the following for completing the following quest: »**

 **« Conflict at the Mining Grounds »**

 **« Quest Difficulty: Rank F »**

 **« 2760 Col »**

 **« 1860 Exp »**

His eyes widened as he read the amount of Exp and Col he received. Was this the prowess of a ranked quest? The next window notified him of a level up, which Kirito happily accepted.

 **« Congratulations, you are now Level 12! »**

He closed the notification, eye furrowing in curiosity as another window appeared in front of him. His curiosity soon turned into shock as he read the window.

 **« Your reputation among the human citizens of Aincrad was impacted positively! »**

 **« You have discovered the hidden stat: Fame! »**

 **« You have gained: »**

 **« 20 Human Fame »**

 **« Your reputation among the dwarven citizens of Aincrad was impacted negatively! »**

 **« You have gained: »**

 **« -20 Dwarven Fame »**

"What the hell?" Kirito cried. His breaths turned uneven as he reread the messages. The soldiers around him were celebrating, but he couldn't hear them as he felt panic build up. If the messages were indicating a message, it was that the dwarves were a race of NPCs that held the same status as the human NPCs.

He choked as Kirito realized what he had just done.

He had just slain tens of NPCs whose brethren were most likely going to be appearing in the distant floors. He had ruined his relationship with dwarves, and Kirito had no way of knowing how to get it back.

 _ **X-Sword Art Online:Realization-X**_

* * *

 **Thank you for reading!**

 **-Amahjing-**


	8. Chapter 7 - Guild

**Author's Note**

 **Another apology for a late update but life just keeps getting in the way sadly…**

 **I still have so many ideas in my head, it's just that I'm busy with other stuff. Worry not though, as I will update to the best of my abilities. While I do have another story that I haven't updated in forever, I wanted to focus more on this one as I really love the setting of SAO. They are stuck in a virtual game, which allows me, the author, to let my imagination run loose more. I can change the setting in a flash because of how each floor is different, create different enemies and items due to being an RPG, it's just really fun.**

 **In conclusion, I'm saying that I have the most fun writing this story. That's it for the AN, I hope this is a fun chapter to read!**

 **[Text] - In-game item or monster names**

 **[[Text]] - SAO terms**

 **«Text» - Game menu text or skill names**

 _ **[Text]**_ **\- In-game locations**

* * *

 _ **X-Sword Art Online:Realization-X**_

Clang! Clang! Clang! The steady sound echoed through the cave as Kirito smashed the ore again with his pickaxe. Beads of sweat ran down his face while he continued to mine. He had spent the entire day in the mines. Once the dwarves were eliminated, the mines were open for use again. Kirito needed to cool his head.

Unfortunately, no matter how much strength he put behind his blows, the stress wasn't going anywhere. His hands slowly shook as he remembered burning the houses. He had also killed multiple defenseless dwarves in the mine.

"They're just NPCs. They're just NPCs. They're just NPCs." Kirito recited the words over and over again like a mantra. He wanted to justify his actions. Wasn't the survival of the players his first priority? Killing the NPCs were inevitable, right?

The game was fucking with his head. In the end, the dwarves were just NPCs, that was true. However, being stuck in the world of Aincrad distorted that perspective. Whether the players wanted to accept the truth or not, Aincrad was their reality until they escaped. Simple NPCs felt like regular citizens that he saw in Japan.

The NPCs and citizens were similar, even in the way Kirito interacted with them. He barely knew anyone in the real world, just like he knew almost no NPC. The NPCs were busy trying to live their own lives, just like the people in the real world. Spending a month in the game made him see the NPCs as real people.

Kirito was viewing himself as a murderer.

"Dammit!" He roared as he slammed his pickaxe down once more. The ore in the wall broke off, and Kirito had obtained the item. Currently, he didn't give a single care about what he obtained from mining. There were so many questions that he wanted the answer to.

How important was fame? Was 20 fame a large amount? Was he unable to reach a neutral point with the dwarven race anymore? In what floors would the dwarves appear next?

Each question made him insecure. Kirito knew that brooding over something that already happened wasn't going to help himself. But if his actions caused large consequences in the future…

Maybe that was why the quest had a difficulty rank. Not only was the quest something that required multiple tasks, but it also had a reward and consequence system. It seemed that he would have to focus on what the quests needed. Kirito knew that he would avoid any quests that involved other races. So far, they only knew about the dwarven race.

He walked towards another deposit of **[Iron Ore]** , picking up his **[Dwarf Forge Iron Pickaxe]**. Ignoring the system's assistance, he swung towards the ore. This was the approach that Kirito had taken the entire day. His main goal was to release stress, not gain iron. If he gained some in the process, then it was just a bonus.

Because of this, it took a long time for Kirito to break off a single deposit. After many swings, the ore broke off. He collapsed to the floor as he took deep breaths. He was exhausted from his action. He tried to wipe the sweat from his forehead.

 **« Congratulations, your Mining is now Level 4! »**

 **« You have mined and obtained: »**

 **« 1x Iron Ore »**

As he didn't pay attention to the previous notifications, he didn't realize that his **[[Mining]]** increased by two levels. It wasn't much of a surprise, as he spent most of his time mining ores that were much stronger than the stones. He had mined stone, bronze, and iron, letting his skill gain experience quickly.

He lied down onto the natural stone of the mines, letting the cold rock cool his body. Kirito closed his eyes, appreciating the cold feeling. It was time to take his own advice. He needed to stop brooding over actions that were irreversible. If he had the chance to better his standing with the dwarves, then he would grab at the opportunity immediately.

Though the thought still bothered him, it was better to accept what happened rather than denying the issue or creating excuses. He spent too much times in the mine, and Kirito left the mine to head back outside. It was time to turn his ores into ingots.

Walking out of the mine, Kirito headed towards the outpost. His head turned multiple times as he searched for someone who could handle ores. The only NPC he could interact with other than the shop owner was a **[[Blacksmith]]**. The one on the first floor could melt or dismantle items, but couldn't form ingots. Kirito wondered if this NPC could.

His question was answered as he talked to the NPC.

"Excuse me, are you able to smelt ores and create ingots?" Kirito asked cautiously. The NPC whipped his head towards Kirito with a insulted expression.

"Of course I can kid. Just hand me your Col and items." The NPC growled.

 **« Required materials to create a Iron Ingot: »**

 **« 4x Iron Ores »**

 **« 100 Col »**

 **« Will you create a Iron Ingot? »**

 **« Yes/No »**

Kirito happily obliged, handing over his **[Iron Ores]**. Kirito watched in interest as the **[[Blacksmith]]** placed the iron over a pile of flaming coals. The NPC used tongs to hold the ore over, rotating it to let the heat spread. The **[Iron Ores]** began to glow in a red color.

The **[[Blacksmith]]** kept the ores near the coal, waiting for the ores to exhibit the red light. The entire ore was glowing a bright red, and the NPC brought the ores to a large anvil. He placed the tongs into a bucket of water, taking out a small hammer from his toolset. Kirito raised his eyebrows as he saw the small hammer. The **[[Blacksmith]]** in the first floor only used a large hammer.

His eyes lit up in understanding as the NPC took out a long chisel. He placed the chisel near the ends of the heated ore, using the hammer plunge the chisel inside. Through this action the excess parts, such as the attached stones, were removed. Placing the used tools into the bucket of water, the NPC reached for a larger hammer, pounding on the iron.

Kirito watched in amazement as he saw the iron take shape of a ingot. The process was slow, but it was fascinating to watch. The **[[Blacksmith]]** worked with extreme precision, adjusting the power of every hit to form the shape.

The NPC hummed in satisfaction as he finished the shaping, plunging the iron into the bucket of water. Smoke sizzled, and Kirito stared with anticipation. He clapped like a child as he saw the **[Iron Ingot]** enter his inventory. Kirito handed over the rest of his **[Iron Ores]** , as well as his bronze ores. It took a while for the NPC to create all the ingots, but it didn't matter to Kirito, as watching the process was fun.

"Wow, I didn't know I obtained that many." Kirito said as he saw the finished ingots enter his inventory. No wonder his **[[Mining]]** increased by two levels. He gained two **[Iron Ingots]** , and three **[Bronze Ingots]**. In order to create a ingot, four ores of the same kind of metal were needed. In total, he had mined eight **[Iron Ores]** and twelve **[Bronze Ores]** during the day.

Kirito ventured towards the East side of the floor as he left _**[Thanis]**_. He wanted to make up for the time he spent in the mines. His pace quickened as he traveled through the land. Kirito couldn't find any more small villages or outposts as he walked by. He only met small groups of monsters which he slayed for some quick Col and Exp.

As he made his way further east, Kirito noticed that the vegetation was more dense in this side. There were more trees, and they also seemed to be taller than the trees on the west side of the floor. It was turning more into a forest, rather than the woods. Kirito used his hands as cover to clear the branches in front of him as he traveled.

He raised his eyebrows in surprise as he heard loud noises nearby. He focused on his hearing, trying to find which direction the sounds came from. He walked forward towards the voices. Through the branches, Kirito could make out the small figures of players. Curious about the scene, he walked closer.

When he arrived to the scene, a familiar face was arguing with someone else. On the right was Kibaou who had his new hammer equipped. The player on the left was someone Kirito didn't recognized. By looking at the player's equipment, Kirito could tell that the player was a decent player. His equipment were all better than average. Most likely, the player followed a tank build, if the armor and shield was any indication.

"Is there something wrong here?" Kirito asked, causing the eyes to look at him.

"Oh, Kirito!" Kibaou said as he narrowed his eyes. Kirito laughed half-heartedly from the look. It was as if Kibaou had a self proclaimed rivalry with him.

"It's King Arthur!" The unknown player yelled as he grabbed Kirito's hands. Kirito leaned his body back from shock as the player and his party members gathered around him.

King Arthur? Kirito stared wide eyes at the players.

"I am Orlando, and this is my faithful weapon, Durandal! We are the strongest **[[Guild]]** , The Legend Braves!" Orlando dramatically announced as he pulled out his sword. Kirio raised his eyebrows questioningly, as the sword was no doubt abasic **[Iron Straight Sword]**.

Orlando's party members spoke out, following their leader.

Kirito felt his skin crawl with cringe as they introduced themselves. Beowulf, Cu Chulainn, Enkidu, Gilgamesh, and Nezha. They were all legendary heroes from around the world. Most likely they were delusional, but Kirito kept silent as he didn't want to enrage them. **[[Guilds]]** were still unable to be created, so Orlando was spewing nonsense.

"Aren't they just great?" Kibaou growled from behind. Kirito silently agreed.

"King Arthur, if you wish to join the Legend Braves, please ask! We will always welcome more heroes!" Orlando yelled. As if the action was rehearsed, the rest of the party starting chanting with Orlando.

'Please, stop calling me King Arthur! The embarrassment is killing me!' Kirito thought to himself. Why were they calling him that anyways? Curious, Kirito asked Orlando.

"Umm… Orlando, why are you calling me that?" Orlando gestured towards Kirito as he heard the question.

"Why it's because of your legendary valor in battle! Word of your charisma spread throughout many players, King Arthur! The brave knight who fights regarding the situation!" Orlando announced. Kirito's jaw hit the floor. There were over 80 players that fought the second boss. How was it that only he gained a reputation?

"Argo told us about your legend!" Kirito's hands curled into fists as his eyes narrowed. He could just imagine Argo laughing at his current predicament. Kirito would get his revenge somehow.

"Well Orlando, please, don't call me King Arthur. I am just Kirito, a **normal** player that wants to be called by his **normal** avatar name." Kirito emphasized normal, as it seemed to be a concept that Orlando didn't understand. He could see Orlando frown at his suggestion. In the end, orlando complied, making kirito let out a sigh of relief.

"Anyways, back to the topic. Is there a problem here?" Kirito reiterated his question now that introductions were made. His question caused Orlando and Kibaou to glare at each other again. Kirito pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration.

"These delusional people try to spread their delusions to others! They claim that they found this secret entrance, when we were the ones to discover it first!" Kibaou roared as his forehead rubbed against Orlando's.

"How is it a delusion if it is true! The Legend Braves discovered it first, and the contents inside are ours!" Orlando yelled as he pushed forward harder. Kirito watched with a deadpan expression. Seriously, were these people children?

The words of Argo reappeared in his mind. It seemed that her words were true. People were still selfish, regardless of the situation they were in. Kirito let out a deep sigh. The situation was difficult to solve, but Kirito himself was now interested in this supposed 'hidden entrance'. Looking carefully, he did notice a space between the rocks on the hill. It was just large enough for someone to fit.

"Look. Before even claiming a spot, how about exploring it first? What if this is the entrance to the **[[Boss Room]]**? Let's all enter together. Safety in numbers, right?" Kirito offered to the two parties. Kibaou and Orlando kept their glare before finally reaching a point of agreement.

"Fine, but if it is the **[[Boss Room]]** , the Legend Braves will claim credit!" Orlando yelled. All progress was lost, as Kibaou started to argue again.

For fuck's sake! Kirito slapped his forehead with his hand. He walked between the arguing people, squeezing himself into the small crack. The noises of surprise entered his ears, but Kirito ignored the cries. The only way they were going to make progress was to actually do something. Once he reached the other side, Kirito scanned the surrounding.

It was still a wood habitat, as trees filled the clearing. The trees were surrounded by the boundaries of the hill, and sunlight entered from the top. The clearing was fairly large. It was like a small cave, as the only entrance was the small crack Kirito went through. At first glance, there was nothing special about the place.

One by one, the parties of Orlando and Kibaou entered. They let out sighs of disappointment at the empty clearing. Orlando stepped forward, walking towards the clearing.

"Who knows, treasure could be hidden anywhere!" Kibaou growled stepping forward. He barked orders at his party, and they spread around the clearing, searching for any signs of treasure. The Legend Braves also marched forward to search.

Kirito crossed his arms over his chest as he watched them search. He doubted that he could find the treasure first, if there even was treasure hidden. He was about to leave, before he felt something ticklish land on his nose. He sneezed, and Kirito grabbed at his nose, attempting to find the source of the feeling. He brought his hands up as he felt the mysterious substance.

It was a white and soft, almost like cotton. It was also sticky, as it wouldn't leave his hand no matter how hard he tried. His eyes widened, alarm bells ringing in his head as he identified the object. It was a spider's web. He quickly looked upwards, noticing the white webs that decorated the ceiling of the cave. The glare of the sun made it hard to see, but if he focused hard enough, he could see the webs.

That left the question, where was the spider?

"Everyone, be careful! This is a spider's den!" Kirito yelled. The players all drew their weapon at his warning. They were all alert, surveying their surrounding. Kirito heard cries of surprise as they spotted the spider webs.

"It's fine, the spider isn't even here anyways. Even if it was, we can just beat it's ass!" Kibaou spoke with arrogant confidence. His party members looked uncertain, but they visibly loosened. Kirito kept his focus as he continually looked around. He had never seen a spider enemy so far. It never hurt to be cautious.

Suddenly, a large crack could be heard as a tree branch nearby broke. The hair on his body stood as he flinched back in surprise. Everyone looked towards the source of the sound, but was too late as Orlando was suddenly lifted into the air. Cries of surprise came forth from everyone as they focused onto Orlando. He was suspended in the air, but nothing could be seen.

Orlando aimed his sword back, thrusting it forward towards the empty space. Kirito stared, eyes parting as he heard an angry foreign noise ring out. A large spider emerged from the air that was empty just seconds ago. The spider dropped Orlando from its jaws. Orlando landed on the ground, taking out a health potion to consume it.

If they weren't in the middle of a fight, Kirito would have been genuinely surprised. Most players couldn't keep calm in sudden situations. Even in a casual game, players made stupid mistakes due to pressure. Even when his life was on the line, Orlando had calmly analyzed the situation, acting in the best way available to him. Kirito gave Orlando a silent compliment in his head as he saw the spider.

Kirito shivered as he read the name, **[Caveatis Porcina]**. If he knew latin, he would recognize that the name meant camouflage. He shivered at the sight of it's beading black eyes. It looked as if it was focusing on every one of them. The spider was covered with yellow hairs. Black stripes ran through the spider, making it seem like a tiger.

The spider was humongous, as its body was the size of a medium boulder. The legs extended out, seeming to be around three meters long. Large bugs or arachnids were disgusting, and Kirito had no problem showing his disgust. His face was scrunched up as he took his battle stance.

Two health bars appeared next to the name, the first bar slightly decreased from Orlando's attack. No matter how much health an enemy had, the game displayed the health of the enemy onto one health bar, even if they were **[[Unique]]**. That was the rule. Only one type of enemies were excused from that rule. They were bosses.

'An **[[Optional Boss]]**?' Kirito thought as he saw the players charge at the spider. Two health bars were significantly low for a floor boss, as even the first boss had four health bars. He didn't lower his guard, as the boss could have tricks up its sleeve in exchange for its low health.

When Kirito saw the two parties fight separately, he gritted his teeth. It was the first time that Kirito had ever seen the Legend Braves. If Diabel was here, they would be able to fight as a single unit, as Diabel was the agreed upon leader in boss fights. Kibaou openly disrespected the Legend Braves because they didn't participate in any of the boss fights so far.

The few players that participated in the boss fights held some pride in being the main clearers of the game. Although not all of them blatantly showed off or showed disrespect to other players like Kibaou did, they put up an invisible wall between themselves.

Without a doubt, Orlando could sense the arrogance ooze out of Kibaou. They disrespected each other, and they weren't willing to fight with coordination. As Kirito watched the Legend Braves, he couldn't help but get surprised.

The group of six fought with near perfect coordination. One of the players would activate a skill, and when they were in the downtime, another player would block incoming attacks with a shield. They quickly and efficiently performed **[[Switches]]** , even dragging each other out by hand if one was in trouble.

Orlando was the main tank, and he kept the attention of the boss by himself as his party attacked the sides. Kirito's eyes lit up with recognition as he saw the shield that Orlando was wielding.

It was a **[Shield of the Steady]**. Although he shouldn't make assumptions, Kirito assumed that it was Orlando who purchased his shield when it was up for auction.

On the other hand, Kibaou's party was a disaster. The players, including Kibaou, were acting independently. They didn't perform any of the party mechanics, thoughtlessly activating **[[Sword Arts]]** as they fought. The party members had to be beginners. Kibaou was barking orders which no one listened to.

If Orlando wasn't tanking the attention of **[Caveatis Porcina]** , then Kibaou would be in deep trouble. The party was able to perform attack safely, not suffering the consequences of using **[[Sword Arts]]** at all.

Kirito was looking forward to seeing the Legend Braves in future boss fights. They knew how to fight, and the abilities of each individual member would greatly contribute. If they would only change their names…

Even if the **[[Optional Boss]]** was fairly weak, the fight drew on as the players couldn't hit the spider consistently. **[Caveatis Porcina]** was using the suspended webs to its full advantage, staying in the air. The webs needed to be taken down somehow. Kirito surveyed the field, an idea forming.

"Kibaou, use your hammer to attack the trees that hold the webs!" Kirito yelled during the heat of battle. Kibaou turned his head towards Kirito, eyes narrowing. No words were spoken, but Kirito understood what the underlying message was.

I don't take orders from you.

"Kibaou, we won't be able to attack the boss until we make it fall from its webs! Please, topple the trees!" He repeated his words desperately, hoping that Kibaou would listen. Smaller spiders started to spawn, attacking the party members of Kibaou. They cried out in surprise as they were ambushed. Kirito changed his focus to the smaller spiders. The Legend Braves were holding their own, but Kibaou's party was falling apart.

"KIBAOU!" He roared as loud as he could, his lungs emptying all the air it held. Kibaou shook from the intensity in Kirito's voice. He cursed loudly, ordering his party to cut down and destroy the trees. Kirito moved forward to attract the attention of all the smaller spiders, trying to get rid of as many as he could.

The Legend Brave members, excluding Orlando, all joined in taking down the trees. Each tree took multiple hits to topple, but one by one, they fell. As the support of the trees disappeared, the webs fell towards the ground, causing the boss to land on the ground.

As the large Arachnid made contact with the ground, the notification of **[[Vulnerable]]** popped up, signifying that any attacks would now deal more damage.

"Legend Braves, charge!" Orlando let out a battlecry, and the six members hacked at the eyes of the boss. Kirito groaned as the individual eyes exploded. The scene was quite disgusting. Kirito joined the Legend Braves, attacking the fallen spider. **[Caveatis Porcina]** thrusted its multiple legs in an attempt to push them off, snapping its jaws at the same time.

Orlando excellently blocked each blow with his shield, allowing his party to attack without worry. Kibaou's party joined in the attack, and the combined damage output of 20 people was enough to finish the boss off.

The spider and the webs flashed into white as they disappeared, signalling the end of the fight. Kirito placed a hand over his chest, feeling it beat a mile a minute.

 **« Congratulations, Caveatis Porcina has been slain! »**

 **« Caveatis Porcina drops: »**

 **« 741 Col »**

 **« 610 Exp »**

 **« Congratulations, you are now Level 13! »**

His experience bar was near the full mark when he had started the Rank F difficulty quest. The quest had given him an absurd amount of Exp, instantly leveling up and carrying on to fill the bar from beginning again. With him killing small mobs as he traveled, combined with the **[[Optional Boss]]** , it was no wonder that he leveled up so quickly again.

"Kuh!?" He lurched forward as a strong hand patted his back multiple times. He winced as the loud laugh of orlando entered his ears. Kirito laughed back in an awkward manner.

"Sir Kirito! I see the tales about you are true! That was an excellent display of skill and strategy. Do you really not want to join the legendary Legend Braves?" Orlando asked as he threw his arm across Kirito's shoulder. Kirito groaned at the name. It was 'Sir Kirito' now? It was better than being called 'King Arthur' in every aspect, but it still left his skin crawling.

Kirito guessed that the Legend Braves were people that already were acquainted with each other. That was the only explanation for the synergy they presented. Him joining the group would actually be detrimental to their teamwork. He respectfully declined the offer.

He felt Orlando's arm stiffen, making Kirito curious. His body stiffened as well when he saw Kibaou walk towards them. Kibaou had a scowl on his face. Kirito's own anger flared. The man should be repenting for his actions. They were lucky that the boss was weak. If Kibaou acted that way when they faced against a stronger opponent, they would all die.

"This is the only time that I'll take ord-" Kibaou started, but was interrupted by a snarl.

"If you want to kill everyone around you because of your damn pride, then do that when I'm not around, alright? You're gonna fucking kill everyone sooner or later. In fact, if any of you want to actually live, then I suggest you don't follow this guy's lead." Kirito pointed towards Kibaou as he directed his words towards the party members of kibaou.

"What the fuck did you say?!" Kibaou said as he marched forwards Kirito. To both his and Kirito's surprise, Orlando walked in between them.

"You know you're in the wrong here." Orlando said calmly, contradicting the image he had until now. Kibaou looked around in frustration, noticing the uncertain looks of his party members. The Legend Braves were glaring at him, and everyone in the clearing was against him. Kibaou let out a growl, walking to the exit.

Orlando exhaled loudly, clapping his hands together. He was about to speak, but another voice rang out, making him pause.

"Thank you for getting rid of that monster! Adventurers, I can finally go back to the city thanks to you all! You will be handsomely rewarded for saving me!" Everyone turned their eyes to a man dressed in a suit. The suit seemed expensive at a single glance, even when leaves and branches were covering the suit.

A pale skinned man approached from a nearby bush. His frame seemed frail, as if the man didn't have good living conditions. The man had silver hair and growed a pretty long beard. A monocle was placed on his left eye. Kirito slapped his open palm with his fist in realization.

"The mayor of _**[Abrendale]**_?" Kirito asked, causing the man to smile.

"Yes, that is I. I had lost my way as I was returning to the city. I tried to take refuge in a safe spot. Noticing a place that looked like a cave, I settled in there, only to find that there were those abominations all over! I don't even know how long I hid for! Once again, I owe you adventurers for rescuing me." Kirito smiled in anticipation of the reward. At least **[[Guilds]]** would be formed soon.

The group escorted the mayor back, and the NPCs back in _**[Abrendale]**_ rejoiced as they saw their mayor. They waited outside of the city hall as the mayor wanted to make himself more presentable. Kirito sat on one of the wooden benches, tracing patterns on the stone tiles before a familiar voice called out to him.

"Kirito!" Looking up, Kirito saw Diabel walk towards him. Diabel took a seat next to him. He raised his eyebrows, staring at each person that was waiting for the mayor. Kirito explained the events, from learning that the mayor was missing, to the encounter with Kibaou and Orlando, to the boss fight, and to the present. Diabel nodded his head with interest as he listened to his story.

"Then we'll be able to have **[[Guilds]]** after he rewards you?" Diabel asked. Kirito answered with a smile on his face.

"Well, I have my own good news. **[[Merchant]]** , **[[Craftsmanship]]** , and **[[Blacksmith]] [[Lifestyle]]** have been discovered. We'll be able to have players do the jobs now instead of the NPCs!" Kirito felt his spirit lift up as he listened. If the other players focused on **[[Lifestyles]]** that could help the clearers, then it would be a huge boost.

"Kirito, come back here once you finish your business with the mayor. Let's build up on the community idea we had a week back." Diabel spoke softly. Kirito obliged, standing up as the mayor approached. His suit was clean, and his skin wasn't covered with dirt.

"Here is the reward that I promised." Multiple noises could be heard as the players had a game notification pop up.

 **« You have acquired the following for completing the Unofficial Quest: »**

 **« Finding Abrendale's Mayor »**

 **« 2880 Col »**

 **« 170 Exp »**

The players exclaimed their surprise at the amount of Col they each received. Kirito let out his own surprise, as the quest gave him basically the same amount of Col as the dwarf quest.

"I also want to give this, but I only have one." The mayor said carefully, showing a chest to them. He opened up the chest, presenting the players a small black stone. The players let out noises of confusion, asking questions to one another. To Kirito, it was an all too familiar stone. He knew the name of the item, but he didn't know what it did.

"I say that Sir Kirito should obtain the gift. He was the one created the battle plan." Orlando claimed. The Legend Braves exchanged glances before letting out their approval. Kibaou's party members also nodded towards the end, as it was Kirito that saved them in the battle.

The mayor gave Kirito the stone.

 **« You have acquired: 1x Core of the Night! »**

While he felt flattered for receiving the gift, he really had no clue as to what the item did. He let out a sigh as he closed the notification. The mayor headed inside the city hall after giving the item. Kirito walked back towards Diabel after his deed was done.

"Kirito, can I depend on you to help spread some news? You just need to tell the people in the _**[City of Beginnings]**_ to come to third floor at noon. We need to make this fast. Tell them that there will be a meeting in two days." Kirito nodded his head.

"What are you gonna do for two days?" Kirito asked.

"I'm going to prepare a speech for the people who come. Unless you want to make it that is." Diabel said as he smiled, knowing that Kirito was going to decline.

"You can do that, I'll spread the news." Kirito muttered. Diabel let out a laugh as he saw Kirito's reaction.

"What kind of speech are you going to prepare anyways?" Kirito wasn't an outgoing person himself. He wondered what kind of display Diabel would put in two days.

"You'll see in two days." Diabel said with a teasing smile. Kirito snorted at the answer. Diabel stood up, heading towards the city hall. Kirito was left alone in the benches.

"Well I guess it's time to start my unofficial quest." Kirito said as he stretched his arms over his head. Considering that Diabel asked Kirito specifically to spread his news to the people on the first floor, he could guess that Diabel was focusing on players who didn't venture out. He headed towards the teleporter, going to the first floor.

When he arrived, Kirito took deep breaths as he expanded his lungs. He kneeled towards the floor, imitating a track runner's starting position. His right knee was placed on the ground while his left foot was extended back. He raised his hips, head close to the ground as he mentally counted.

He took off, running past players and NPCs and he yelled at the top of his lungs.

"Players who didn't venture out of the city yet! In two days, we will hold a meeting on the third floor! Everyone who is available, please come to the meeting! It will help the other players who are trying to clear the game!" His yell traveled through the entire city. A few moments later, players were yelling at him to be quiet, that they already heard his cries. Kirito ignored them, yelling more. He needed everyone to hear his news. For two days, up until the meeting date, Kirito terrorized the players that resided on the first floor with his screams.

* * *

 _ **X-Sword Art Online:Realization-X**_

Kirito's hands shook uncontrollably as he saw the amount of people in front of him. He felt nervous just standing on top of the platform. He glanced towards Diabel, surprise showing on his face as he saw Diabel's face.

Diabel was closing his eyes and breathing slowly. His breaths were shaky, but they were much more controlled than Kirito's. Even with a few hundreds of people in front of him, Diabel was able to keep a level head.

"It's time." Kirito whispered as he looked at the clock. Diabel opened his eyes, face devoid of any emotion. Kirito scooted to the side as Diabel walked towards the front of the platform they were standing. He clapped his hands, making the crowd stare in curiosity. The people stared towards him.

It was an amazing sight. hundreds of people were gathered together in a plaza, all staring at one person. Kirito had never seen this many people gather at a single location.

"Everyone, this is a meeting targeted to those who have yet to leave a single step outside of the starting city." Diabel's voice was firm, but the crowd raised their voices in protest.

"What, you want us to fight against our wills?"

"Are you trying to blame us for not being able to clear the game?"

"This is my first game I'm playing and I don't want to die!"

The cries continued, and Diabel surprisingly let their cries continue for a moment. Kirito stared at Diabel's back, wondering what the young adult would do.

"This is not a meeting made to blame nor condemn those that chose to stay in the starting city. There are males and females, young adults and adults, gamers and first timers gathered here. We hold a vast diversity of people, and it is ridiculous to think that everyone should venture out. There is a way for everyone here to help without venturing out." Diabel said, causing murmurs to spread.

"Being a player **[[Blacksmith]]** or player **[[Merchant]]** helps those who risk their lives everyday at the top floors. These jobs require little to no need in leaving the safe city boundaries at each floor. Although these two are the most likely to be helpful, everyone here is free to choose their own **[[Lifestyle]]**. My only request is that if there is any information you discover, you share it with us." Everyone at the plaza was completely focused now as they continued to listen.

As Kirito scanned the crowd, he was pleasantly surprised to see a pink patch of hair. It was Lizbeth, and she waved at him from the crowd. Kirito waved back. He smiled, assured that they would have one **[[Blacksmith]]**.

"This world is our reality now no matter how much we deny it. If we want to survive, we need to act together, act as a society like we did in the real world. That is why I propose this to everyone here." Diabel pulled out his menu, searching for a specific item. A moment later, a large piece of paper materialized in his hands. People raised questions as to what the item was.

"This here is a **[[Guild]]** creation form. A player not too many days ago discovered the quest that allows **[[Guilds]]** to be formed. For anyone who wishes to help, I ask them to sign their avatar name to join. Joining the **[[Guild]]** will allow the players to gain a large benefit." Kirito was stunned as he listened. There were hundreds of players present at the meeting. How many would actually sign up?

"If you want to leave the **[[Guild]]** in order to join a friend's, or for any other reason, you will be allowed to. This is not an official **[[Guild]]**. It is one created so that beginner players are able to connect with one another and learn slowly about the game without venturing outside. If you feel that you no longer need the **[[Guild]]** , once again, you are free to leave." It was a good approach to get people to join. There was no real cons at the moment, and giving the player the freedom to leave was a nice touch. There was one important question though.

"For those of you here that are familiar with a **[[Guild]]** system are probably asking, 'who will lead the guild?' The person who leads the frontline battles will lead this **[[Guild]]**. In other words, I will lead this guild." Kirito whipped his head towards Diabel.

"Until someone who has better leading abilities show up, or I found a suitable replacement, I will organize and lead the guild. As leader, I will promise you this. First, that I will not pressure anyone to leave the cities or forcefully pressure people to take a **[[Lifestyle]]** that they do not want. Second, that I will attempt to care to every need that is presented before me. I myself have no clue about anything when it comes to **[[Lifestyles]]** , but I will learn alongside you all. That is all that I have to say. Thank you for coming today." Diabel ended his speech, bowing down as he finished.

The creation form was passed to the closest person. The first player hesitated before finally writing his name down. A chain reaction was set, and the crowd was waiting for their turn to sign. Shivers ran down his spine as he watched Diabel's speech inspire the people.

Kirito couldn't help but worry about Diabel. His friend had just placed immense pressure on himself. To help thousands of people while trying to lead the frontlines was going to be impossible. It was a sacrifice he was making to unite the people of Aincrad.

On December 7th, the first **[[Guild]]** that held 360 players was officially created. The name of it was **« Legion of the Enhancers »**.

* * *

 _ **X-Sword Art Online:Realization-X**_

Thank you for reading!

Amahjing


	9. Chapter 8 - Lizabeth

**Author's Note**

 **Yay! Thankfully, this week has been very, very, very kind to me, giving all sorts of free time and other stuff to do. I've been able to play some games in my free time, and I can actually update this story in this week. Although I can't promise weekly updates, I promise that I will try as long as I have the time.**

 **Quick thank you's to the people that continued to read this story even when I updated the story once in like 3-4 months. I hope this chapter was fun to read!**

 **[Text] - In-game item or monster names**

 **[[Text]] - SAO terms**

 **«Text» - Game menu text or skill names**

 _ **[Text]**_ **\- In-game locations**

* * *

 _ **X-Sword Art Online:Realization-X**_

"Rah!" Kirito bellowed as he slashed his sword vertically at the head of the enemy. He saw a large paw swat towards him. He reared his head back in an attempt to dodge the attack, but he was too late. His body was sent sprawling towards the floor. Kirito set his hands down to stop his rolling. He hurriedly planted his feet into the ground.

Large brown eyes were staring at his own dark silver eyes. Kirito glanced towards the bear's health bar, noticing that it was nearly dead. Just one more attack would be enough. He gulped nervously as he circled around the bear.

The **[Feral Black Bear]** was the stronger version on the normal bears on the floor. Kirito assumed that the enemy would be a slow but heavy hitter. While his guess was right initially, the bear had displayed great speed when attacking. The attacks caught Kirito off guard multiple times, even when he had tried to adjust.

Using **[Sword Arts]** was suicidal against this enemy, but the current moment was an exception. One attack could finish it off. In his arsenal of moves, Kirito only had one attack that was faster than the bear's. The black fur of the bear blurred as it rushed forward. Kirito smiled as he activated one of his first moves, **«Quick Strike»**. His sword flashed forwards in front of him, slicing into the stomach of the **[Feral Black Bear]**.

The enemy was killed, and Kirito sheathed his sword. He took out his **[Weathered Small Knife]** as he walked towards the dead bear. He stuck the knife into the bear's body. In return to his action, the body glowed white before turning into a familiar pouch. Kirito touched the pouch to obtain his reward.

 **« Feral Black Bear drops: »**

 **« 249 Col »**

 **« 163 Exp »**

 **« Scavenge yielded in: »**

 **« 1x Skinned Black Bear Pelt »**

 **« Quick Strike has reached 100 points! »**

 **« You have gained the following: »**

 **« 1x Quick Strike Skill Mod »**

Kirito hummed with surprise as he read his rewards. The skill he used the most frequently was undoubtedly his **«Reinforced Slash»**. He rarely used his other skills. It was surprising to see that his **«Quick Strike»** skill was used enough to be modded.

 **« Quick Strike Mods: Please select one of the following »**

 **« 1. Consecutive Strikes: 20% chance to activate again immediately »**

 **« 2. Pure Luck: Critical chance is increased by 10% »**

 **« 3. Heavier Swing: Damage is increased by 25% »**

 **« Once you choose a Skill Mod, it is final, regardless of Re-spec »**

Another time for a decision to be made. The choices were interesting, but Kirito progressed with the third choice. While having a 20% chance to activate again sounded interesting, it seemed like a trap. Kirito used **[[Sword Arts]]** when he knew it was safe. If the skill activated again when he didn't want it to, then he could put himself in a dangerous spot.

As someone who didn't like to rely on chances, Kirito crossed out the second option. No doubt that the skill would do enormous damage considering that it was a **[[Sword Arts]]** that was getting a crit damage multiplier. Still, Kirito preferred to know how much his skill would do at all times, basically on a consistent basis so that he could calculate his damage better. He confirmed his final choice as he walked away.

For the past few days, Kirito spent his time farming mobs. When he couldn't find groups of monsters, he would opt to increase the level of his **[[Hunting]]**. As a result, his **«Scavenge»** had increased where he could get normal pelts at a low rate.

He collected his rewards and sat under a tree after. He took out some food to eat while he thought. His thoughts drifted towards the conversation he had with Diabel after the creation of the first guild.

* * *

 _ **X-Sword Art Online: Realization-X**_

 _ **Four days ago -**_

"So what are you going to do now?" Kirito faced Diabel as he heard the question.

"What do you mean?" Kirito asked dumbfoundedly. What he was going to do? Well, he was going to farm and try to clear the game as always. The noise of the crowd could still be heard, even if a large number of them dispersed. They were all excited at the aspect of helping the players without venturing out of the safe city.

"I mean about the guilds. Do you have one in mind that you want to join?" Oh. Kirito glanced towards the ground as he racked his mind for an answer. He let out a sigh as he continued to think.

"Well, to be honest, I really don't have a clue yet." Kirito started.

"To tell you the truth, I have no interest in starting or joining a guild right now. I know it's stupid," Kirito interjected as he saw Diabel try to speak. "But I really don't want to be part of a large group right now. Besides, if I do join a guild, I want to join one where I can be comfortable in. If you hadn't noticed, I'm not exactly the most sociable person."

Diabel smiled. It may seem dumb, even stupid, but he could understand. Diabel knew that Kirito was someone who had trouble in large groups. Kirito wasn't antisocial in anyway, but the young adult had his limits. Kirito was someone who enjoyed talking to other individuals or really small groups. The teen would join if he had no choice, but the current situation didn't call for such extremes.

"What about you? Are you going to be okay?" Kirito asked. Diabel's eyes widened at the question.

"It's a sacrifice that I was willing to make. No, it's a sacrifice that needs to be made if we want to clear the game. Though I must admit, I doubt that I'll get decent sleep time now. I have to juggle multiple tasks." Kirito nodded his head at the answer.

"Besides, with the rush of guilds forming, it won't be long until someone else takes my place as leader during the boss fights." Diabel said.

The crowd of players huddled in the city hall building proved his point. Players were forming guilds at an alarming rate. Some were small, consisting of only close friends that bought the game together. Others were formed with large amounts of players who united with the common goal of clearing the game.

"I just hope that guilds don't pose the common problems that exist in other MMORPGs…" Kirito trailed. Diabel hummed in agreement

In the traditional MMORPGs, it wasn't uncommon for guilds to be at conflict with one another. They would claim territories to horde all the monsters in the vicinity, allowing only their members to gain Exp. There were different philosophies that clashed against another, and pride would be on the line. Kirito could only hope that guilds would be different in this game. If people did fight with one another or claimed hunting grounds, then it would deal a harmful blow in the process of clearing the game.

"Well, it's time for me to go now. Already, I have people asking me for help." Diabel said as he smiled nervously. Kirito blanched as he saw the notifications pop up in front of Diabel. Kirito could only stare at the back of Diabel as he walked away.

* * *

 _ **X-Sword Art Online:Realization-X**_

Kirito's chewing stopped as he remembered his conversation with Diabel. The difference between the two of them were appalling. While Diabel sacrificed himself to help those who didn't start the game, he personally took the easy path.

He avoided guilds so that he could spend time to himself, grinding to get solo Exp. To keep whatever drops he gets to himself. He avoided helping the players that were stuck in the first city, yet he expected them to help and contribute in clearing the game.

"How selfish am I…" Kirito exhaled as he dropped his bread. Multiple sighs left him as he reflected upon his own actions. He shook his head to dismiss the thought. Instead he stood up, resuming his search for the **[[Boss Room]]**. The only thing he could do was to help contribute in clearing the game as fast as he could.

Four days had passed since the creation of the biggest **[[Guild]]**. The members were focused mostly on **[[Lifestyles]]** that supported the players. It was quite narrow minded to think that the new players would adapt quickly. However, Kirito's patience was wearing thin. He had the materials to upgrade his **[[Anneal Blade]]** to +7. He had waited for days for a player **[[Blacksmith]]** to emerge.

Kirito began to walk back to _**[Aprendale]**_. He was going to look for a pink-haired **[[Blacksmith]]**. She was Liz, the girl who had wanted to genuinely help the players.

After slaying some monsters and obtaining money, Kirito arrived to _**[Apprendale]**_. It was agreed upon the support players that they would set up shop in the city so that the frontline players could find them more comfortably without teleporting to the lower floors.

As of the current moment, the support players had little to no money. Without a doubt, buying a store in _**[Aprendale]**_ would cost quite a fortune. The shops inside the city sold equipment for players far beyond their current level. Because the support players still needed to conduct business, it was agreed upon the support players that they would open shop on the streets near the city plaza.

The shops consisted of the most basics. Merchants would spread their products on top of blankets that were placed on the floor. It was the only way they could display their merchandise. The frontline players lacked money themselves, so it would be a long while before business would even start to thrive. The amount of players that were **[[Merchants]]** was something that comforted Kirito. They were gaining support.

Looking around, Kirito finally found a bright pink patch of hair. Liz was located aways from most of the other support players. When he walked closer, Kirito could understand why she needed more space. Unlike **[[Merchants]]** , **[[Blacksmiths]]** required more space. In front of Liz was the anvil. Next to her was the basic tools that were needed to conduct the task. On her other side, there was a roughly built fireplace. A small circle was formed with rocks, while wood was placed in the middle. The fire would no doubt cause burns to appear on the stone tiles.

"How does it feel like to be a blacksmith now Liz?" Kirito asked as he approached her. Her head whipped upwards to face him, eyes lighting up in recognition.

"Well... It's actually really difficult." Liz laughed hesitantly as she trailed off. Kirito raised his eyebrows, wondering why the girl would respond in that way.

"I have time. In fact, I'm actually pretty interested." Kirito offered. He hesitated slightly when Liz let out a loud sigh. It seemed that this would take a while.

"There's just so much I have to remember! Specific tools for specific situations, controlling the size and heat of the flame, the quality of the tools that I have, the skills that I have to use, just everything!" Liz whined as she slouched her shoulders.

"I… I… I see…" Kirito muttered quietly. Most of the game's mechanics was confusing to him as well. To Liz, who had basically just learned the game, it would be a lot of information to intake. It seemed that blacksmithing was more complicated than others. He wouldn't be surprised if Kayaba made it that way.

"Luckily, all the **[[Blacksmiths]]** so far are only at the novice level. None of us have the **[[Blacksmith]] [[Lifestyle]]** leveled up. Until we level it up, we can't advance to the intermediate level. That's why we are only able to use the most basic tools. Personally, I hope that I never reach the intermediate level. That way, I won't have to learn how to use the other tools available to us in the future." Liz said in a joking manner.

Kirito's eyebrows raised as he heard Liz's rant. Unlike his **[[Hunting]]** or **[[Mining]]** , it seemed that **[[Blacksmiths]]** had a ranking system. The starters would be novices until they advanced their levels. Maybe his **[[Lifestyles]]** did have the same system, it was just that he didn't notice.

"Are you available for an upgrade right now or should I come later?" Kirito asked. Liz's eyes widened as she was offered a task.

"No, no no! I can do it right now!" Liz yelled. Kirito chuckled as he opened his menu. He materialized the **[Feral Bear Claws]** , which were the next materials needed for the upgrade. Handing both his sword and the materials over, a question formed in his head.

"By the way Liz, how much are you charging for each upgrade attempt?" Her eyes blinked in confusion before understanding.

"Well it depends on what level your weapon is on. Let me see yours." Liz replied as she opened up the interface for his **[Anneal Blade]**. She stared absently at the sword before her eyes widened. Her hands were shaking as she pointed towards the item description.

"P-P-Plus six?! Are you serious!? The few players that came for an upgrade barely got it past plus two!" She exclaimed.

"Heh. Of course Liz. That **[Anneal Blade]** is my best friend. My treasure." Kirito answered back proudly. It was the result of the many weeks that he put in.

"So you want to get it at +7? Alright. How much do I have to charge around then?" Liz whispered quietly to herself as she thought of a reasonable price.

"130 Col per attempt." Kirito offered. "It's the amount that the NPC **[[Blacksmith]]** charges. Besides, you're running a business. You're going to need the money to become better, right?" Again, Liz's eyes bulged open as she stuttered incoherent words.

"B-But it's to +7. I'm just a novice. The amount of failed attempts that will likely happen is… Is…" Kirito sighed as he heard Liz trail off. It was understandable. Still, it wouldn't be harmful if the girl had some more confidence.

"Liz, it's fine. Besides, the more attempts, the more experience you gain. Just think of this as training. Heck, even the NPC **[[Blacksmith]]** took almost seven tries to get it to +6! It's not like the weapon is going to become **[[Cracked]]** or anything." Kirito tried to calm the young lady. Luckily, it seemed that it was working.

"You're right. I should just think of this as training." Liz puffed her chest confidently as she took a deep breath. With everything handed over, Liz began to heat up the sword and the materials. Kirito watched her as she placed his sword on the anvil. He noticed that a small crowd was forming around them, watching the female **[[Blacksmith]]** work on the upgrade.

Liz felt sweat trail down her cheeks as she worked. Like with her previous customers, a crowd was forming, watching her work. This was arguably the most important part for a **[[Blacksmith]]**. Her credibility depended on this. Even if she failed multiple times, if she succeeded, then her name would be known to other players.

One. Two. Three. She had grabbed her hammer and slammed repeatedly on Kirito's sword. She wanted to succeed. This was the person who gave her the courage and confidence to become a **[[Blacksmith]]**. Liz took another deep breath as she raised her hammer. One more strike was needed to complete the upgrade. She gripped the hammer tightly as it was still raised in the air. She hissed as she let down the final blow.

Liz closed her eyes as she felt her heart beat with anticipation. She waited patiently for the small noise that accompanied the game notification. Instead, she heard a small shattering sound. Glancing up towards the anvil, her eyes widened in horror as she saw large fracture appear on the **[Anneal Blade]**.

"Ah." The small noise escaped Liz's throat.

"Ah." It was the only sound Kirito could make as he saw his weapon break into two separate pieces.

"AHHHHHH?!" Kirito screamed as he realized what just happened. No. Please. Someone tell him that this was just a nightmare. His hands were almost vibrating with fear as he grabbed the handle of his **[Anneal Blade]**. He desperately opened up the item description to see what had happened.

 **« Anneal Blade »**

 **« A blade handed down the generations of one of the settlers of Horunka. »**

 **« The item is different from others, from the fact that it can be upgraded to the state of +10, »**

 **« compared to the other items which can only be upgraded into +5 »**

"I don't care about that!" Kirito roared as he scrolled down the item description. One distasteful word entered his vision when he scrolled to the very bottom.

 **« Cracked! »**

 **« Damage reduced by: 95% »**

 **« Durability reduced to: 20/20 »**

 **« All upgrades reset »**

"My baby… My best friend…" Kirito fell to his knees as he slammed both his fists down into the ground. How could this be? He whipped his head upwards and glared at Liz. She flinched at the look as sweat poured down her head.

"It's because you jinxed it! You just had to say, 'It's not like the weapon is going to become **[[Cracked]]** or anything' in such a cocky way! You jinxed it! It's your fault!" She responded desperately to his look.

Kirito sighed as he stood up. Maybe he shouldn't have jokingly glared accusingly at Liz. He was sad, even depressed. Because of this, he would have to use all of his Col to repair and re-upgrade the weapon. He would also have to gather the upgrade materials again. However, he would never blame Liz for the results. It was all based upon percentages after all. He hoped that his antics would relax the female player. Instead, it caused her more panic. He was about to console Liz before he heard the crowd around them talk.

"No way. Did she just **[[Crack]]** his weapon?"

"Isn't the chance of that happening under really low?"

Liz felt panic build up as she heard the players. This was bad for her. Really bad. Even if players knew that it wasn't her fault, it would still become a reason to avoid her. They would take it as a bad omen. There was no way she could continue being a **[[Blacksmith]]** now. The story of what happened would spread. It was guaranteed that the frontline players would avoid her. If she was lucky, she would be able to help the players on the lower floors.

Kirito stared sympathetically at Liz, who had now gathered her knees to her chest, hiding her face. Unfortunately, Kirito had nothing he could do to disprove them. Well, there was a way.

"Hey Liz, can you repair the weapon for me?" Kirito asked as he kneeled next to the girl. Liz turned her head slowly to face him, eyes wide with surprise.

"I can't, repairing is available when we reach the intermediate level. Even if I could, why would you…" She trailed off, and Kirito knew what the following words would be.

Why would you ask me?

Kirito groaned as he stood up. Liz had a bright personality that allowed her to befriend others quickly. To see the adolescent so unconfident and sad, it just didn't fit her. Maybe it was his fault for jinxing it. If that was the case, then he would have to take responsibility in harming the young female's reputation.

Kirito racked his brains for an idea. It was well past noon, a few hours away from dawn. The sooner he could get rid of the news, the less damage it did to Liz. He would have to gather everything as fast as he could.

"Liz. Tomorrow at night, stay at this spot as you are right now. I'll be back tomorrow." Kirito said as he ran away from the main city. The best **[[Blacksmith]]** was the one at _**[Thanis]**_. If his memory served him correctly, the first two levels required **[Wolf Claws]** as the upgrade materials. Based on his pace, he could get the materials needed to upgrade his **[Anneal Blade]** to +5.

He opened up his menu as he ran, equipping the **[Beginner's Sword]**. He didn't plan on running into any enemies, but if he did, he would have to fight. Luckily for him, he was able to make his way peacefully. Kirito rushed into the outpost of _**[Thanis]**_ , heading straight towards the **[[Blacksmith]** inside.

Swiftly navigating through his menu and engaging the dialogue, Kirito asked the man for a repair.

 **« Required materials to perform: Repair »**

 **« 2380 Col »**

 **« 2x Iron Ingots »**

His eyes twitched as he saw the price, but he didn't have time for hesitation. He handed over the money and items, tapping his elbow with his other hand impatiently as he crossed his arm. Kirito watched the **[[Blacksmith]]** work without thought.

Not even knowing how much time passed, Kirito glanced upwards when he saw the **[[Blacksmith]]** hand him his weapon. A quick inspection of the weapon was done, and Kirito nodded his head in approval as he accepted the repaired **[Anneal Blade]**. He ran back towards _**[Aprendale]**_ to teleport to the first floor.

It was almost dawn. The wolves on the first floor would disappear and be replaced with the nocturnal variation. His **[Anneal Blade]** was now in the same state as it was when he received it after completing the quest. Equipping the repaired weapon, Kirito killed the first wolf that he could find. He made an appointment with Liz tomorrow, he would make sure that he would make it.

* * *

 _ **X-Sword Art Online:Realization-X**_

Liz gathered her legs to her chest as she sat on the cold stone tiles. With an empty look, she traced patterns over the layout of the city. Ever since yesterday, she had not gotten a single customer. No one approached her.

All she wanted to do was to help others. To help their progress in clearing this damned game. Instead, she becomes a detriment, hindering the process of Kirito. The one person who she didn't want to let down. Somehow, the one in a thousand chance happened in front of him.

What could she do now? The question formed multiple times in her head last night. Most likely, she would end up in the situation she was in before. Someone who never set a single footstep outside of the inns.

She tapped her gathered knees with her forehead as she stared at the ground. Why did Kirito even want her to wait for him today? A gasp escaped her mouth as she thought of the possibilities. Maybe he was trying to embarrass her in some form. Maybe he would gather all the frontline players and point at her, telling them that she was the one who **[[Cracked]]** his weapon. She felt tears well up as she thought of the possibilities.

So gathered in her thoughts, Liz didn't notice the sound of footsteps that approached her. Her face was still facing down towards the ground. It wasn't until she felt soft tapping on her knees that Liz finally decided to look up. As she saw the person who asked for her attention, her face scrunched up with mixed feelings of guilt and confusion.

In front of her stood Kirito, the player that lost his prized weapon. She couldn't help but glance around him, fearing that her previous assumptions might be correct. Thankfully, the black haired swordsman was alone. As Liz peered carefully into Kirito's face, she saw that there was a confident smile.

"I'm here to upgrade my weapon all the way to +7 in one go." Kirito proclaimed out loud. He said his words so that everyone around him could hear. As people realized what Kirito had said, they spoke to him, trying to warn him of the blacksmith's bad luck.

"I wouldn't ask her for any upgrades, she completely destroyed a guy's weapon from trying I heard." Similar lines were spoken, as they heard only from the rumours. They didn't realize that Kirito was the person whose weapon was destroyed.

Liz flinched as she heard the murmurs. Maybe she was right. Maybe Kirito had come back just to shove back yesterday's accident. It just… didn't make sense. The look on his face told her that he came back for another reason.

"Y-y-you should ask someone else." Liz replied quietly.

"Sorry, can't do. I'll say it again, I'm here to upgrade my weapon multiple times." Kirito replied without hesitation. As Liz stared at Kirito again, she finally understood what emotions Kirito's face was showing.

It was trust and confidence. Although she had ruined his weapon, he didn't harbor any ill feelings towards her. A weapon was more than just a physical item in this game. It was the item that increased the chances of survival in this death game. Having a bad weapon meant that the player was exposing themselves to danger. She had ruined a weapon that had been upgraded six times, yet he **still** trusted her to do the upgrades on his weapon.

How could she turn down his request even after knowing this? She couldn't toss aside his trust. Liz took multiple breaths, before slowly nodding. As Kirito saw this, his smile widened, handing over his **[Anneal Blade]** and the required materials to her. Liz's hands were slowly shaking as she accepted the weapon. She awkwardly fumbled around for her equipment, ready to begin.

A crowd began to form again. Kirito watched the pink haired blacksmith as she began the upgrade. She started off clumsily, but slowly regained a steady rhythm as she continued her work.

Noises of metal clashing against metal resounded through the plaza. Sweat began to form on Liz's forehead as she focused all her concentration into the task at hand. With consistent strokes, she continued to pound at the **[Anneal Blade]**.

She didn't even pay attention to the notifications that appeared in front of her. The murmurs from the crowd were drowned out. She proceeded with the upgrade. Liz was at mid swing when she heard a soft voice speak.

"Good luck." Her eyes peaked upwards for an instant, realizing that it was Kirito who spoke the words to her. He still had the same smile on his face, and Liz finished her swing for a final time. As her final swing made contact, she realized that the weapon in front of her had stopped glowing. It meant that it was done upgrading.

She let out a sigh of relief as the weapon didn't **[[Crack]]** like last time. Liz didn't even realize that people were giving her looks of amazement. Kirito walked forwards and gave a single pat on her shoulder as he took the **[Anneal Blade]** into his hands to inspect it. She stared at him and the crowd in confusion as she was wondering why Kirito was whistling in approval.

"Upgrading a weapon from scratch to +7 with only 4 failures? Damn." Kirito said for the whole crowd to hear. Liz's own eyes widened as her brain registered Kirito's words.

"Huh!?" Liz replied in a dumbfounded manner. She quickly snapped out of her daze, opening up her most recent notifications. Sure enough, she had succeeded in the upgrades, failing only four times in total. Not only that, her **[[Blacksmith]]** leveled up multiple times. She guessed that it was because she was successful in a difficult job.

A small laugh bubbled in her throat as she stared at the people who watched the entire process. She heard apologies for making quick assumptions based on a single accident. Soon afterwards, Lizabeth could hear multiple players requesting an upgrade.

She turned her head around, eyes searching for Kirito. To her surprise, the swordsman had already escaped from the crowd. A smile formed as her lips as it was obvious what the player had done for her. He had singlehandedly saved her reputation in the game. Of course, luck was on both their sides as the upgrades were successful.

Breaking out of her thoughts, she focused on the crowd in front of her requesting for her services. She could finally help players out by upgrading their equipment. It was a small step needed to help clear the game.

* * *

 _ **X-Sword Art Online:Realization-X**_

Kirito took a few breaths as he stepped out of the city into the woods. The third floor's landscape was mostly filled with a less dense forest, with some of the land covered by mountains. Although he had managed to help Lizabeth out, he had lost some time. He spent almost a day hunting weaker enemies as he was trying to gather upgrade ingredients.

Considering the amount of time he spent on hunting, he gained a very small amount of experience. Kirito needed to make up for the lost amount of time. He explored about half of the third floor, meaning that there was still a lot of ground to cover. He was honestly glad that he was away from the large crowd. It was great to know that player **[[Blacksmiths]]** were now going to assist them from now on.

As Kirito was exploring uncharted grounds, a foul smell entered his nose. Letting out a small noise of disgust, Kirito winced and searched around the area for the source of the smell. Turning left, Kirito identified a mangled corpse of an unknown organism. Curious, Kirito knelt down next to the corpse. He flinched in surprise as a small notification appeared in front of him.

 **« Will you accept the following Unofficial Quest? »**

 **« Extermination of the Invasive Species »**

 **« Yes »**

 **« No »**

"Of course I'll accept." Kirito whispered as he accepted the quest. Completing quests was one of the fastest ways to level up. He wasn't going to miss an opportunity like this. Kirito blinked in confusion as nothing happened even after accepting the quest. Sure, **[[Unofficial Quests]]** were different from normal ones as they didn't spoon feed what the player had to do. Still, did he seriously have to find the so called invasive species without any hint?

A moment later, Kirito snapped his fingers in enlightenment.

" **[[Hunting]]**!" Kirito cried out loud as he realized what he had to do. Kirito hurriedly activated his **« Tracking »** skill, causing the world around him to focus on the faint glow of pink light. There were multiple trails heading off into different directions. It was most likely that this quest had multiple enemies he had to kill, hence having the word species.

Kirito sighed at the prospect of doing a lot of work, but he had no choice. He quickly chose a trail of tracks, following the trail. Soon, the light caused by his **« Tracking »** skill glowed brighter, meaning that the footprints were created not long ago. Kirito crouched, now activating another skill, **« Stealth Walk »**.

As Kirito walked further and further, he paused as he heard a faint growling noise. Walking a few steps forward, Kirito could now identify what the invasive species was. As expected, his target was similar to that of a small tiger. From the dismembered corpse before, Kirito could tell that the unknown species was most likely a fierce carnivore. Thankfully, the tiger seemed to be one that was still a kit, as it was too small.

" **« Mark Target »**." Kirito whispered.

 **« You have marked: Amazon Tiger Kit! »**

Taking out his **[Anneal Blade]** , Kirito ambushed the unsuspecting monster, landing a free attack. The tiger let out a small roar as it nimbly turned around to face the attacker. Kirito was already ahead as he rushed towards the **[Amazon Tiger Kit]**. His eyes widened in surprise, however, as the tiger dodged. The enemy was very fast.

It was Kirito's turn to dodge as the tiger raised its paw to attack him. The large nails of the tiger sliced only thin air as Kirito spun around to dodge. Kirito slashed his sword immediately after dodging, allowing him to land another hit. The battle continued on for a short while before the enemy started to run away.

"What the..?" Kirito yelled as he saw the **[Amazon Tiger Kit]** flee from the fight. It was his first time seeing an enemy run away. Kirito gritted his teeth as he entered a full sprint. It would be difficult to catch a tiger in a race.

"As if I'd let you get away!" Kirito roared as he reared back his weapon. His **[Anneal Blade]** began to be enveloped in light as Kirito activated **« Explosive Charge »**. Aiming the skill with practiced precision, Kirito bursted forward. The extra burst of speed caused him to catch up to the fleeing monster. The skill made contact with the enemy as Kirito swung the blade down, cutting up the **[Amazon Tiger Kit]** into particles.

Kirito rolled into a halt, facing the enemy he had just slain. Walking towards the body, Kirito activated **« Scavenge »** while taking out his knife. Few seconds later, the body of the **[Amazon Tiger Kit]** exploded into particles while leaving a small item bag behind. Kirito picked up the bag, reading the notification that appeared in front of him.

 **« Amazon Tiger Kit drops: »**

 **« 360 Col »**

 **« 231 Exp »**

 **« Scavenge yielded in: »**

 **« 1x Poorly Skinned Tiger Pelt »**

 **« 1x Amazon Tiger Kit's Claws »**

The items gained from after using the **« Scavenge »** skill were sold at a high price in the markets. Kirito hummed in appreciation as he turned around to look for the other tigers. There were around four trails, meaning that there were only three more to go.

* * *

 _ **X-Sword Art Online:Realization-X**_

Landing the final blow onto the last of the four **[Amazon Tiger Kit]** , Kirito let out a sigh of relief as he finally finished the **[[Unofficial Quest]]**. As he collected his spoil of wards, Kirito read out the gained perks of improving his **[[Hunting]]**.

 **« Congratulations, your Hunting is now Level 2! »**

 **« Tracking Upgraded Into: »**

 **« Advanced Tracking: »**

 **« The player can now track trails that were created long ago! The player can now also identify »**

 **« the type of organism that left the trail behind from just looking at the tracks. »**

Being able to identify the enemy that left behind a trail would be important in the future without a doubt. Thanks to this quest which required using his **[[Hunting]]** skills many times, he had improved his other skills quite a bit. After closing the notification, Kirito tapped his feet impatiently as he waited for his reward for completing the **[[Unofficial Quest]]**.

Much to his confusion, the notification didn't appear. He had hunted all the tigers, he was sure of that. There were only four trails of tracks, no more. As Kirito was racking his brains for a solution, he didn't realize the enemy that attacked him.

Kirito blinked in confusion as he felt his body get flung to the side. Shaking his head side to side quickly to regain focus, Kirito hurriedly searched for the enemy. His eyes widened as another tiger was standing in the clearance. This one was completely different from the **[Amazon Tiger Kit]**. The size of the tiger was ridiculously large, towering over Kirito himself.

 **[Amazon Primal Tiger]** was the name of the beast. Kirito's eyes widened as his health bar entered his sight. One attack from the overgrown tiger had dealt over half his health. Mind thinking in overtime, Kirito ran away from the large creature as he quickly took out a **[Greater Healing Vial]**. Watching his health bar regain it's healthy red color was assuring, but not enough as there was a strong enemy he had to fight.

Blood pumping, Kirito felt his breaths quicken. His hands were slightly shaking from either fear or anticipation, he couldn't tell. In fact, Kirito was slightly surprised that he still felt adrenaline from situations such as these. Afterall, he would have to face enemies like this in 97 more floors. This was just another average day in the world of **[[Aincrad]]**.

 _ **X-Sword Art Online:Realization-X**_

* * *

 **After Note**

 **A chapter that introduces a character from the series, Lizabeth! It's going to take a while, but Asuna will make a comeback soon, and other characters will continually be introduced. It's really hard to write fight scenes, and I need to get more creative on how to write them.**

 **Well, that was all for this chapter, hope you readers enjoyed it!**

 **Amahjing**


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